


Distance

by writingshipper



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Dimensions, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, First Kiss, Fluff, Genderbending, Humor, M/M, Minor Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2020-11-22 14:11:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20875520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingshipper/pseuds/writingshipper
Summary: Sasuke is the average civilian, sharing a house with Naruto to lower his living expenses. He's also in love with him but can't admit it, because Naruto's amazing and Sasuke's just a nobody. So he keeps it inside, trying to juggle his shitty work, Naruto's antics and the nightmares.Then, one day, they're transported to a dimension where Naruto is a woman and she and her Sasuke are married with children. How will the two handle the weirdness of the situation? And what will become of their relationship?A/N: READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE FIC. DON'T COME CRYING TO ME IF YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT ISN'T TO YOUR TASTE.Mind the tags. At the moment this fic is Mature, but it might change to Explicit, depending on how my brain wants the story to go. Additional tags will be noted in each chapter.This fic uses Western names because I intend to publish it as an original work. It's also why it will sound like shit, because it's still only a first draft. Please don't hesitate to give both constructive criticism and incoherent flailing. You can also find me on Tumblr.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by [these](https://66.media.tumblr.com/24c62113e042853d6c5f46f072d7d664/tumblr_ounmeaBTRh1rl9k45o8_1280.jpg) [two](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b49dd05aa281f52b51efeccb10217a99/tumblr_ounmeaBTRh1rl9k45o2_640.jpg) pictures of a dumb dweeb.

‘_Up at this hour already, bastard? You’re such a prissy goody-two-shoes, you know that? It’s not as if your work at the office will catch on fire if you’re one nano-second late _ \- .’

CRASH.

‘OW!’

‘That’s what you get for changing my alarm tone, dead last.’

Nick rubbed his bottom from where it had landed on the carpeted floor when Sebastian kicked him off his bed, grumbling. Sebastian’s vein was still throbbing with rage and headache at Nick’s voice coming out of his own phone. He really, really didn’t like when his routine was thrown off course in any way.

‘Oi! Don’t leave me here, you heartless prick!’ Nick whined, but Sebastian was already walking towards the front door to put on his jogging shoes and exit the house that he was sharing with his housemate.

The cold air of the dawn caressed against Sebastian’s face as he started his morning run with a light jog. The sky was still dark and most of the street lights were still on. Sebastian liked it this way. There was no one to bother him while he was deep in thought. It enabled him to organise his thoughts and file them into different categories in his brain.

Sebastian rolled his eyes as he imagined coming home from his run, opening the door to see Nick on the floor in a foetal position, face scrunched up like he was in pain. That was his way of signalling that he was hungry. Sebastian sighed. Nick called him a drama queen but he pulled the most ridiculous stunts when he wanted something. He still had no idea how they haven’t killed each other in the few years they shared accommodations. He’d probably do it next week. Starvation seemed like a good fit since Nick loved to eat.

No. He couldn’t do that. Nick was the most important person in Sebastian’s life. He was the light to his darkness. Sebastian didn’t know what he’d do without him. Nick always knew what to do when he needed it. He was the only one who didn’t shy away from him when everyone else avoided hcm. He was Nick Hayes, the blond, blue-eyed, energetic ball of sunshine, and Sebastian would go to the ends of the universe for him.

But Sebastian couldn’t admit the truth to Nick. He’d be repulsed. He constantly complained that Sebastian was boring, stuck up and had his head in his ass. They already fought over the smallest things. He could just imagine if they were in a relationship. Plus there was the fact that Nick liked to go out to clubs and fuck 99% of its occupants. Sebastian would cramp his lifestyle. So he put it in the back of his mind, hoping it would go away, and knowing full well it wouldn’t.

When he returned, however, Sebastian was surprised to hear metal clattering coming from inside the house. Curious, he put his shoes away and followed the cacophony that was originating from the kitchen. He blinked to make sure his eyes were working properly. Nick was preparing something for breakfast. Sebastian was sure that the world was coming to an end.

Nick paused suddenly, possibly becoming aware that someone was watching him. He turned around and blushed when he met Sebastian’s eyes. He looked so handsome, with his rumpled clothes and sleep-gummed eyes.

‘I, uh, thought I’d make you breakfast,’ he said, grinning sheepishly.

‘Who are you and what have you done to Nickolas Hayes?’ Sebastian deadpanned.

‘Are you saying I’m incapable of being thoughtful?’ Nick pulled his hurt-puppy expression.

Sebastian let out a breath of a laugh and didn’t deem it worthy of a reply. Instead he just turned away and headed towards the single bathroom for his shower.

Ten complete minutes later both Sebastian and Nick were at the dining table, eating the oatmeal that Nick had made. It was a little too lukewarm for Sebastian’s liking, having been made in the microwave instead of the stove, and the slices of fruit were chopped haphazardly and only sprinkled on top instead of being arranged. But to Sebastian it was the best oatmeal he’d had in a long while. He watched Nick surreptitiously through his fringe. Nick had always complained that Sebastian only ate rabbit food, and it was clear that he was unsure of what to think of this dish that Sebastian had consumed dozens of times.

‘How is it?’ Nick asked cautiously.

‘Passable,’ Sebastian remarked dryly.

Nick’s shoulders relaxed and he positively glowed out of his skin. Sebastian was frank with words, so for him to give a compliment was an accomplishment. Sebastian couldn’t help falling a tiny bit in love at how Nick smiled. ‘It was the simplest thing I could think of with what we have. Besides, I always watched you and it’s much safer than some other stuff you usually have.’

Sebastian preened silently at the fact that Nick paid a lot of attention to dim. However, he didn’t let his poker face slide. ‘What’s with the early hour? Don’t you have the afternoon shift today?’

‘Hank sent me a message telling me our newest order had arrived,’ Nick said, a trickle of oatmeal dribbling down his chin. Sebastian wanted to smack his head into the bowl. ‘He also wanted me to switch some stuff around so I’ll probably be home late.’

Sebastian nodded. He liked keeping tabs on his and Nick’s activities so nothing would be a surprise to him. He made a mental note to write it down in his log book later. Nick always teased him for writing down things that will have no impact, but his diligence had saved him untold amount of time.

‘By the way, we’re out of a lot of stuff, so you can come over after work and we can go home together,’ Nick added.

‘I’ll mate you carry everything if you try to mate a fool of me,’ Sebastian threatened, standing up and heading towards his room to get ready for work.

‘He-hey! Help me out here!’ Nick said indignantly, but Sebastian ignored him.

His phone pinged as he put on his left sock, indicating that his rideshare car was waiting for him outside. He picked up his messenger bag and adjusted his tie as he walked, and he put on his loafer shoes. He was about to open the door, but - .

‘Hey!’ Nick called out.

‘What now?’ Sebastian sighed.

Nick looked at him for a long time, not saying a thing. The car outside honked twice. Sebastian was about to exit, but Nick simply said ‘Be careful and crush it,’.

Sebastian hid his smile as he snorted and slipped through the doorway. Nick always said those words to him whenever they parted ways. Nick cared for the wellbeing of everyone around him, and he was also polite and courteous to strangers. It was just one of the things that Sebastian admired about him. He found it hard to trust people and the wall he’d built for himself was at least several layers deep. After confirming details with the driver, Sebastian pulled out his log book and flipped to the next page to run through what he needed to do that day. Being an administrative worker meant a lot of things to attend to.

Twenty minutes later he was exiting one of the lifts of his office with at least six other people. Sebastian’s office was really just a small building with several floors, and the pay wasn’t exactly great for the responsibilities and high living expenses. Still, it was better than nothing. Sebastian made his way to the furthest corner where his cubicle was. It was the only one of the four that was bare bones and meticulously tidy. The rest had either family photographs tacked lopsidedly or documents and stationery all over the desk surface. Sebastian couldn’t imagine working amidst all of that mess. He suddenly wondered if Nick ever got in trouble at work. His own bedroom was like someone had set off an atomic bomb in it. He sat down, switched his computer on and opened the email software to begin sorting his inbox, a task he liked to accomplish before he became busy with that day’s duties.

No sooner than he’d finished the first screenful, however, than his boss swarmed over him, carrying a huge stack of paper. ‘Hi, Sebastian,’ she said a little breathlessly, flicking her hair. Sebastian wondered how far he’d have to go to hammer in her head that he wasn’t interested in her. Being conventionally attractive, in his opinion, had more downsides than upsides. In his experience, saying that he wasn’t interested in their sex did not dissuade them. ‘I’d like your help. The manager just assigned us to create a company-wide survey on what employees think about working here. He wants to know every detail, so just put in as many questions as you like. Please have the results ready by the end of the week. I have to go now, but thank you so much.’ She zoomed off for the door without another word.

*‘And please file all these documents, since you’re the only one who knows how to organise them.’

‘Wait - !’ Sebastian called out, but she had already slipped through the doorway. He took a look at the giant stack and sighed. Sometimes he really hated being the only diligent person in his division. Maybe he should try slacking off for a day or two. That would teach the others to pull their weight. Probably. He sighed and pulled out his bullet journal to break down his newest tasks.

*

Sebastian rubbed his head as he rode the lift from the building’s cafeteria back to his own floor. He cut his own lunch break by half because he really wanted to finish formulating the survey questions today so he could work on typing them up to the software tomorrow. He liked splitting his tasks into different days so his brain wouldn’t get confused. He didn’t understand how he became the dumping ground of the book. It seemed like everyone relied on him to do the bulk of their work for them. He liked being busy but not that busy. He thought his salary should be multiplied by four to account for this bullshit.

*He still didn’t know how much importance he should put in ‘Amenities’ given how few of them were provided.

A couple of voices drifted towards him, and he stepped back into the lift to avoid being seen. It was his boss and the division manager talking. The female voice had caught his attention so he decided to follow them under the pretence of heading for the bathrooms, making sure to look nonchalant so as not to appear suspicious.

‘...I assume you’ve filed those letters accordingly?’ the manager asked.

‘Of course, sir!’ The boss’s voice was slightly higher than usual. ‘All categorised and dated. After all, a neat system makes for an orderly workplace!’ She let out a shrill laugh.

‘Good,’ the manager said approvingly. ‘I admire your work ethic. And how’s the survey shaping up so far? Come up with any good questions yet?’

‘Uh, yes!’

‘Can you give me some examples?’

‘Well… Um…’ the boss gave a nervous laugh. ‘I wanted… To know their opinions on, uh… Our green initiative!’

‘Excellent idea,’ the manager said. ‘Speaking of which, do you think we should propose to the higher-ups that we should disable our AC systems - ?’

Sebastian had heard enough. Fuming, he stormed back to his division, flung open the archives room and started pulling down the very binders he’d assembled so meticulously this morning. He was going to shuffle the documents and then hint to the manager that he should check them himself. Then he was going to create a fake results page for the survey. That should teach them to mess with him.

*

Sebastian was still fuming when he entered the grocery store after he’d left his office. However, the familiar smell of the air freshener and the sight of rows and rows of items arranged neatly on the shelves relaxed him slightly. He had to admit that Nick had the ability to be organised if he actually wanted to. How he wished he would bring that into their home. He wondered if he should pay him for doing that.

‘Sebastiaaaan!’ The force of Nick’s entire body weight slammed into him like a freight train.

‘Get the fuck off me or I’ll throw you onto the milk section.’ The words came out a little muffled since Sebastian’s teeth were clenched.

‘You have to save me from this hell! Hank won’t stop breathing down my neck since the moment I stepped my foot in this place! There were more items than I expected, and my back and feet are killing me!’

‘You’re not the only one to have a shitty day, asshole. Now help me get this done or you’ll have to make your own dinner.’

‘You’re manipulative and heartless!’ Nevertheless Nick plucked Sebastian’s bullet journal from the trolley and pulled out the slip of paper that contained the shopping list Sebastian had prepared. He didn’t trust anyone to handle his journal, not even Nick, but he did allow Nick to do some things like that.

They came to the laundry aisle, where Heidi, the store manager’s daughter, was arranging detergent packages. ‘Hiya, Heidi!’ Nick said cheerfully, saluting her.

‘H-hello, Nick, Sebastian,’ she stammered. She had a stutter and was incredibly shy and timid. ‘I hope you’re doing well this afternoon.’

Sebastian only shrugged. They were familiar enough with each other that he could get away with it.

‘Heidi! We have to turn Sebastian’s frown upside down! Do you know any techniques?’ Sebastian had no idea why Nick found having his two friends in the same place excited him this much. Seriously, it was like his brain was a motor running on endless amount of fuel.

‘W-well, we’re having a sale on various rice right now since we need to m-move the stock,’ she suggested.

‘Oooh! That’s my girl! That’s exactly the kind of thing he likes to hear!’ Nick gave Heidi a big squeeze, which made her blush. ‘Thanks, Heidi! See you around!’ He dragged Sebastian away, causing him to hit his housemate’s head before picking up a bottle of softener.

‘You don’t have any sense of personal boundaries, do you?’ Sebastian asked as they rounded a corner to the next aisle.

‘Human contact is a vital thing for survival, Seb! We would die without it!’

‘That’s only for babies. And stop calling me with that name.’

‘Ooo, someone’s touchy today. Get it?’ Nick grinned slyly, looking a little too proud of himself for that joke for Sebastian’s liking.

‘Just shut up and tell me the next item on the list.’

And on it went. Sebastian would never admit it to anyone, least of all himself, but he actually enjoyed this exchange of banter with Nick. In an odd way, it made him feel like he had someone who understood him, who could meet him halfway. They had a twenty-minute argument over which brand of baking soda they were going to purchase, which was resolved when Nick climbed up a store ladder and throwing down a third brand that hadn’t even been in the discussion and refusing to put it back despite Sebastian giving him a murderous glare that made a young child ask her father if that man was going to do something bad. They made their way over to the cashier, where the shortest queue had Heidi manning the machine.

‘We meet again, Heidi!’ Nick said as he began unloading the trolley even with the previous customer’s load still on the conveyor belt. ‘I thought your boyfriend is on duty at this time.’

‘He w-went to the restroom and asked me to cover for him for a bit,’ she answered. She deftly counted out the change for the customer and handed it to him. ‘I hope y-you two found the baking soda you wanted.’

‘You heard that?’

‘You’d make a terrible ninja with your subtlety,’ Sebastian snorted.

‘Why can’t that brain of yours accept the fact that that brand has been around for ten years and therefore can be trusted to do a good job? Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s good quality! You’re concerned about saving money, but sometimes it makes more sense to spend more upright! How do you work in a corporate environment and not know this - !’

‘Your change amounts to five dollars and sixty cents,’ Heidi said, cutting Nick’s rant off. ‘Nick, I think Sebastian understands what you’re getting at,’ she smiled. ‘You two remind me of a married couple sometimes.’

Nick spluttered. ‘He’s the biggest bastard on the planet! Who would want to be married to someone who sticks his head so far up his ass!’

‘While you’ve been talking out of your ass, I called for the car and it’s here already, so help me get everything in, chatty Cathy deadlast.’

Nick was still talking his head off as he obeyed, but Sebastian tuned him out. He didn’t know why, but Nick’s voice calmed him down. There was something comforting about having the person who could embrace your flaws be free in expressing his own. If only he could stay in this car forever, having Nick next to him talking his ear off. He was pretty sure he’d die happy if it came to that.

‘ - weren’t even listening to me at all, were you?’ Nick complained as he unlocked the door to their house.

‘Surprisingly, despite having a lot to say, you spout practically nothing of value.’

‘You’re a hopeless case.’

‘Same to you!’

‘You know you wouldn’t have it any other way,’ Nick gloated.

The corner of Sebastian’s mouth switched. ‘Get into the shower. I don’t want your sweat permeating the house.’

‘Your rotten mouth smells more than I do!’ Nick shouted as he entered the bathroom.

Sebastian exhaled a long breath as he leaned against the kitchen counter. It had been an extremely long, confusing day. First he had the credit of his work stolen from him, then he got to spend an entire afternoon with the person he loved dearly but couldn’t even acknowledge it as such. He was pretty sure, if a higher power existed, and was having a good laugh right then. He scowled. It was nice to know his misery was someone else’s entertainment.

‘Yo! You have about five minutes of hot water left!’ Nick called out.

But, Sebastian reasoned as he put on his nightwear, he was pretty lucky considering where came from. He had a roof over his head, food on his table, a warm bed to sleep in. And the nightmares didn’t bother him too much if he just pretended they didn’t exist. His life wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst, either. He supposed it was better like this, than to risk losing everything. He didn’t know what he would do if he became selfish, only for Nick to spurn him away and take everything away from him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Non-con light kiss.

Sebastian lifted his eyelids, and blinked. The ceiling above him was different from the one he was used to waking up to. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was in a completely unfamiliar bedroom. He sat up straight, looking around. Was his brain being especially cruel this night, to lull him into a false sense of security before resuming its heinous acts? But he had never seen this bedroom before in his life. So what in the world was going on?

Then Sebastian remembered that some people had lucid dreams. Well. He was glad that he wasn’t going to have to deal with the usual scenario this time. In fact, it was pretty cool to have control over his own body when usually he was bound by force. He took a closer look at the bedroom. The walls were painted red, but somehow it didn’t look offensive to the eye. The bedding was white with red accents and white decor items made the room feel homey and loved. It reminded Sebastian of those home decor magazines, where everything was meticulously arranged and most definitely more than both he and Nick could afford. He supposed it was nice of his brain to create this environment for him to be in.

His stomach growled all of a sudden. Everything felt strangely real; he actually wanted to eat something. He hoped he wasn’t going to get screwed over by oversleeping. He pushed the blankets away and opened the door. The room had several armchairs and chaises and what looked to be the main door of the house. Sebastian wondered how on earth his brain could’ve conjured this. Sure having a house like this would be nice, but it wasn’t of his taste. He could see a dining table and some chairs up ahead, so he assumed there would be a kitchen nearby. Sure enough, he came to what amounted to a cooking show’s wet dream. The counters were black marble and all of the appliances were state of the art with more of the narrow windows. Sebastian opened the fridge and his head spun as he took a look inside. It was full to the brim of all the food he could only dream of purchasing. There was quinoa, dragonfruit, soy milk… Was this a newest type of nightmare where he could only see his wildest dreams but not attain them?

‘Huh. So you made it home this time,’ a voice said coldly.

Sebastian looked up and what he saw made his blood freeze. A teenager with straight blond hair _and his facial features_ was glaring at him. His jaw dropped to the floor as his brain scrambled itself.

‘What, you’re not used to seeing me up at this hour? Well, believe it or not, it’s not just you who can get up early at weekends. Now, can you move so I can get milk for my cereal before I starve to death? Please?’

Sebastian stumbled back as the boy marched up to the fridge and pulled a carton of full-cream milk out. He was having trouble even breathing. What was this. Did he die and go to Hell? How was it possible for this boy to even exist? He’d never had sex with a woman in his life. What was more, that shade of blonde was horribly familiar.

‘Why are you staring at me like that? You look like an alien possessed you and forgot how to act like a human.’ The boy scooped up his cereal into his mouth and chewed sassily. The way his eyebrows creased was exactly like Sebastian’s when something wasn’t going his way.

Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, but for once words failed him. ‘W… Wha... ‘ he garbled lamely. ‘Where… Who - ?’

The boy opened his mouth, but before he could produce another retort, a young girl ran straight into him and threw her arms around his legs.

‘Daddy!’ she squealed, looking up at him with brilliant blue eyes. Her long dark hair was still in disarray from sleep. ‘I’m so glad you’re home! Did you get me anything?’

‘Now, Sunset, Dad is still tired from his trip. Let him catch his breath,’ a woman’s deep voice said. Before Sebastian could stop her, she walked straight up to him a full kiss on the mouth.

Sebastian reeled. The woman was an exact copy of Nick, down to her monolids and pout of her lips. Her blonde hair hung down to her shoulders and she had a slim, perfect figure and a busty chest. Worse still, she was staring at him with this light in her eyes, like he was her whole world.

Sebastian staggered back. His heart was clenching like a steel hand was squeezing it. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. This was his sick brain intent on making him suffer. He looked at the woman and the girl, who were laughing as they were huddled over the kitchen counter, to the boy who was still chewing his cereal angrily. He stumbled and ran towards the kitchen doorway and towards the front door.

‘Hey - !’ the woman said in surprise, but Sebastian ignored her. She could be hiding something and he didn’t want to find out. He tried to twist the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. He looked around, desperate for another exit. If he couldn’t escape, he was done for.

‘Calm down!’ the woman said, sounding alarmed and worried. But Sebastian wasn’t having any of it. He glanced to his left. The bedroom door he just left was still open. He hoped against hope that there was something he could use to barricade the entrance as he dashed in. But, to his dismay and horror as he entered, there was nothing. There was another door that presumably led to the bathroom, but it was on the other side of the bed.

Sebastian’s heart sank. He was trapped. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself to wake up. But when he opened them again, everything was still the same. It was over. He was done for. He couldn’t go through this torture. It was too much to take.

‘Hey,’ the woman said softly from behind him. Sebastian jumped and almost tripped over his own feet.

‘Stay away from me!’ he burst out. Stumbling backwards, his back connected to the wall. There was nothing to stop the woman from doing whatever she wanted.

‘It’s OK.’ The woman held out her arms. ‘Just relax.’

‘Liar!’ Sebastian could feel his knees quaking and hoped he wasn’t about to kneel. That would be the ultimate weakness. He could taste his own sweat on his tongue.

‘I’m not going to hurt you,’ the woman continued, walking slowly to avoid spooking him. If Sebastian closed his eyes, he could just imagine that Nick was talking to him, albeit with a higher voice. They had the same cadence.

‘Your name is Sebastian Powell,’ the woman said; she sounded like she was trying to get him to remember something. ‘Your parents are named Frederick and Madeline Powell, and your brother is called Ivan Powell. Your favourite colours are blue and purple. You love tomatoes and hate sweets.’

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. If the woman was a stranger how could she know those facts by heart? He’d never told anyone about them. Nick might but Sebastian doubted he was that intuitive.

‘I’m Nichole Hayes, and I’m your wife. We have two children together, River and Sunset. You’re the CEO of your own company called Powell Industries. Our running joke is that we only got married because the certificate helps us to pay taxes easier.’

So apparently this was a world where Nick was female and Sebastian had everything he ever wanted. He didn’t know whether he wanted to wake up or remain asleep. He bit his lip, unsure whether he could trust the woman.

‘It’s OK,’ Nichole repeated. ‘Everything will be OK. You’re safe with us.’ She held out her hand.

Sebastian closed his eyes. His instinct was telling him that Nick would never hurt him no matter what form he was in, but he just couldn’t believe it. This world was too perfect to exist. There was no way that he could be happy and be surrounded by people who loved him. It was an impossibility. They weren’t his cards to play.

He opened his eyes again. Nichole was still holding out her hand. Despite her worried eyes, she still had that curve to her smile that reminded him of Nick. Fuck it. Sebastian lifted his own hand, slowly to see whether she’d disappear. She didn’t and when their hands joined, she held on to him firmly like she’d never let him go.

‘That’s the spirit,’ she said. There it was again. That lilt was definitely Nick’s. ‘You must be exhausted after three weeks of being on the road. What do you want for breakfast?’

Sebastian shrugged mutely. He was still reeling from what was happening. Nichole led him to the door again, and the girl was peeking around the corner.

‘Is Daddy OK?’ she asked worriedly.

‘He’s all right, baby girl,’ Nichole answered, offering her other hand so the girl could take it. ‘He’s just sick. You shouldn’t do anything that might cause him excitement.’

‘OK.’ The girl - Nichole said Sunset was her name - peered between her mother’s legs to look at Sebastian curiously. He remembered when he would do the same to his own mother as she introduced him to new experiences. The thought squeezed his heart and he pushed it to the back of his mind.

‘You just sit down and relax,’ Nichole said as she led Sebastian to a dining chair, which Sunset pulled out. ‘Sunset, make daddy his favourite, will you?’

‘Sure thing!’ the girl said brightly, skipping off to the kitchen. Nichole pulled out a chair next to him and sat down, observing him. That blue piercing gaze reminded him too much of Nick, so he looked away.

‘What do you remember?’ she asked; she clearly thought he was suffering from memory loss.

‘I’ve never met you in my life,’ Sebastian answered. Maybe he was being a little harsh, but he wasn’t in the mood to be nice.

She drew a sharp breath. Sebastian smiled, satisfied that she was offended. But she didn’t rise to the bait. ‘Then what do you remember?’

‘I fell asleep and the next thing I know I’m in this house.’

‘Wait.’ She suddenly sounded confused. ‘What do you mean you fell asleep and woke up?’

‘I meant what I said.’ Sebastian felt an odd pleasure that she was as slow on the uptake as Nick.

‘Where did you say you slept?’

‘My bedroom. Which, for the record, would never be as garish as the one I was unfortunate enough to wake up in.’

‘So you didn’t sleep in a hotel?’

‘I can barely afford to pay my own bills. What make you think I’d be as frivolous as that?’

For the first time Nicole looked genuinely baffled. ‘What do you mean you can’t pay your bills?’

‘I work at a shitty job that doesn’t pay me enough and treats me like shit.’

‘But… But…’ Nichole seemed at a loss for words. She seemed to be unable to connect this Sebastian from the one she thought she knew.

‘Huh. You look just as stupid as he does.’

‘He?’

‘Nick.’

‘Who - ?’ Nichole began, but she was interrupted by a phone blaring the chorus to a song Sebastian had never heard before. She scrambled to get up and disappeared. Just then, Sunset brought out a steaming bowl on a bright green tray.

‘One oatmeal for daddy coming right up,’ she said brightly, placing the bowl in front of him along with a spoon. Sebastian looked down. It was the same colour as his favourite brand, which meant that these people knew his preference. But the fruits assembled were different. There were dragonfruit, mango and even (). It made him feel a pang of longing that he couldn’t have this regularly.

‘Are you all right, daddy?’ Sunset looked at him with worried eyes. He noticed that her shade of blue was deeper than her mother’s.

‘I’m fine.’ Sebastian looked away from her to avoid thinking any further and picked up his spoon. The oatmeal was very good, just the way he liked it. She must’ve done this for him countless times before. Sebastian’s heart ached at the thought of someone loving him in such an unconditional way, to be able to pass his values to them. He never thought he’d be able to even get a glimpse of it, and now that he was here, he was unwilling to let it go. He grew annoyed at the lump in his throat and tried to swallow it away in his next bite.

‘Is it too cold for you, Daddy?’ Sunset asked him.

‘No.’ God, she sounded so worried like it was a personal failure.

‘Nichole walked back into the room looking flabbergasted as she held her phone to her ear. ‘But… You’re here! In the living room!’

Sebastian looked up at that odd string of words. If his suspicions were correct… Well, this dream was just getting weirder by the second.

‘Listen. Whoever you are, stop pretending to be my husband,’ Nichole said angrily. ‘I don’t know what you want from us, but you’re not getting any of it.’ She hung up angrily.

‘Who was that?’ Sebastian asked.

‘Some twat who thinks imitating you would be funny.’

‘Where did he say he was?’

‘On his way home.’

‘And why was he still not home when you were expecting him last night?’

‘He said his flight was delayed - wait, why are you talking so weirdly?’

‘I think,’ Sebastian said, ‘that that is your actual husband.’


	3. Chapter 3

‘W-what?’ Nichole asked in total disbelief. ‘What in God’s name are you talking about?’

‘I’m not your version of Sebastian.’ Even Sebastian could hardly wrap his mind around what he was saying. ‘I’ve never seen this place before, and yet he seems to be familiar with you.’

‘Seb, are you feeling OK? Maybe you need to lie down - .’

‘I’m in a different dimension.’ Sebastian was aware of the theory, of course. But he couldn’t imagine how he even came to be here. Did someone engage in a ritual to send him here? If so, Sebastian was going to strangle them. With his bare hands.

‘Seb…’ Nichole was looking at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had. But this was the only explanation possible. Even when it was also implausible.

‘I told you that I know someone named Nick, remember? He’s my housemate. He’s the exact carbon copy of you, except he’s male.’

‘You…’

‘Wait until he gets home. Then you’ll see.’ Sebastian suddenly wondered if Nick was transported to. He’d better be. This was too weird for Sebastian to handle alone. ‘What time do you think he’s going to arrive?’

‘In about twenty minutes or so.’ Nichole fiddled with the wedding band on her third finger. Of course, she couldn’t sit still in this dimension, either.

‘Would you like something to drink, sir?’ Sunset’s whole demeanour had changed. She was still smiling, but some of the radiance had worn away. Of course she’d be. He wasn’t her father, after all.

‘Black coffee.’

‘...Coming right up.’ Sebastian didn’t fail to notice her hesitation. Her father must not drink that often.

‘I’m the one who drinks the coffee,’ Nichole said. ‘In fact, he hates it.’

‘Huh.’ It was strange to think that a version of him would dislike coffee.

‘What’s it like in your world?’

‘I share a house with Nick so we can keep our expenses to a minimum.’

‘What’s Nick like?’

‘He’s a dimwit, an idiot and a fool.’

For some reason Nichole giggled which she tried to disguise with a cough.

‘What’s so funny?’ Sebastian asked, narrowing his eyes.

‘It’s just that - ,’ Nichole began, but she was interrupted by the doorbell. Her smile slipped and she grew serious.

‘I better get that,’ she said, and stood up and disappeared. Sebastian’s heart rate sparked suddenly. He was about to meet his own twin. He wasn’t sure what his brain was telling him to feel. Would they even get along? Would their personalities be the same?

The front door clicked and there was the sound of light, affectionate kisses. ‘I’ve missed you so much,’ a flawless copy of Sebastian’s voice flowed through the rooms and it made the hair on Sebastian’s neck stand up. It was surreal to hear it when he hadn’t even opened his own mouth.

‘What, cat got your tongue all of a sudden?’ the other Sebastian teased. ‘I know how much you think I’m handsome and all that, but really, Nichole. You should be used to it by now.’

‘Wow,’ was all Nichole said. Even she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, either, apparently.

‘Nichole, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’ It seemed that Sebastian had finally caught on. ‘Did something happen? Are you hurt anywhere?’ It was strange to hear that voice, usually aloof and cold, sound so concerned for someone else’s wellbeing.

‘Seb, listen,’ Nichole said. ‘Something really, really fucking weird has happened. If I show you, promise you won’t freak out.’

‘Did someone lay a hand on you?’

‘No. But you haven’t promised me yet.’

‘OK. I promise.’

‘I’m being serious, Seb. This isn’t normal by any means.’

‘I promise to not lose my cool at whatever my wife is going to show me,’ that Sebastian said solemnly. They were husband and wife. Of course they’d take each other seriously.

‘He’s in the dining room.’ Two sets of footsteps approached and two figures appeared: Nichole and Sebastian’s clone.

Sebastian stood up. He tried not to let his brain drag him into unconsciousness. His copy was wearing a long black overcoat, khaki jeans and brown loafers. His hair was much more well-maintained and his skin was clear - Sebastian didn’t know if it was because of expensive skincare products or if he had been blessed. His eyes, though the same shape, were bigger and... less perpetually wary.

‘...Wow,’ the other Sebastian said finally. ‘Are you a long-lost cousin of mine?’

‘He just appeared in our house this morning,’ Nichole said. ‘He says he’s from another dimension. Apparently he’s poor where he came from and I’m a dude who’s a housemate.’

‘Well, then the theory is true.’ The other Sebastian smiled, much wider than Sebastian could ever remember himself smiling, and walked up to him, holding out his hand. ‘Hello there… Sebastian. My name is the same as yours, obviously, but people call me Seb.’

Sebastian stared down at the proffered hand. He wasn’t like this to complete strangers, so open and trusting and friendly. He wondered if Seb had a different past than he did. He was almost like Nick. After a few moments, Sebastian shook his copy’s hand.

‘Wow. This is an experience,’ Seb said. ‘I think I’m going to need oatmeal to recover.’

Sunset reappeared from the kitchen carrying more crockery on her tray. ‘Whoa!’ she said. ‘There are two dads!’

‘Sunset! How’s my sunshine doing?’ Seb asked as she put down Sebastian’s coffee and Nichole’s sandwiches.

‘I’m weirded out, but otherwise fine, dad!’ she said, allowing him to kiss her on the cheek.

‘Sorry to trouble you again, love, but can you make me the usual, please? I’ll give you your present later if you get it right,’ he winked

‘It’s no problem, Daddy.’ Sebastian noted how like and day she and her brother were.

‘So how in the world did this happen?’ Seb asked.

‘How should I know? I’ve never believed in stupid stuff like magic.’

‘Then… Is it possible that you’re not the only one?’ Nichole mused.

‘What do you mean?’ Sebastian and Seb asked at the same time. Seb smiled and Sebastian turned back to Nichole.

‘I mean, think about it. You happened to come exactly to where your copy’s dwelling is. If Nick is my copy, and he has a relationship with you… Then he has to be around here, too.’

Sebastian stood up. ‘Where could he be?’ he asked urgently.

‘Hmm…’ Nichole scrunched up her face like Nick. ‘It has to be a place he has a connection to, so… He must be at my parents’ house.’

‘Do you have a number for that place?’

Nichole stared at him with condescending eyes. ‘Are you really asking that question?’

‘Call him,’ Sebastian demanded.

‘You know, you are quite rude. If my husband weren’t here and I weren’t so curious about my male copy, I’d have refused you.’ She pulled out her phone, scrolled through the screen and dialled. She waited as the () stretched for five seconds before the other end picked up. ‘Hi, Kevin, it’s Nichole. Is there a male version of me in your house…? Perfect. Put him on the line, please.’ She handed the phone to Sebastian, who took it gingerly like it had a disease. ‘Oh, stop being a prissy princess. It’s just a phone.’

Sebastian opened his mouth to throw an insult, but was saved by Nick’s voice. ‘Hello, Nickolas Hayes speaking.’

‘Nick.’

‘Sebastian? Is that you?’ Nick’s voice was so loud that Sebastian held it away from his ear.

‘Yes, it’s me. Are you OK?’

‘No, I’m not.’ There was that whining tone. ‘I was having a good time eating my way through the fridge before these bastards found me because of you.’

‘Listen. This is an emergency. Have you noticed that we’re not where we were last night?’

‘Yeah, but I’m not complaining! This mansion is huge! I’ve never seen anything like it! You should check it out, they have tons of cool stuff!’

‘I don’t think you realise how serious this is. Get your ass here right now, you idiot.’

‘OK, fine.’ Sebastian could practically hear Nick’s bottom lip protruding. ‘So how do I get to where you are?’

‘I’ll send a car to pick you up. Whatever happens, I expect you to arrive, even if you have a broken leg.’

‘Bastard.’

‘Deadlast.’ Sebastian the phone back to Nichole, who positively vibrated with excitement as she fiddled with it again. 

‘What is it?’ Seb asked.

‘I’m gonna meet the male version of me!’ Nichole squeaked. ‘Do you know how cool that is? It’ll be like having a twin brother!’

‘Well, it would be interesting to see what you look like as a man.’

‘We’re going to have so much fun together! Oh my God, I am so glad this happened!’

Sebastian disagreed, but he had to admit it was interesting to see how the theory worked in action. It was fascinating to watch Nichole and Seb actually getting along like two normal people unlike him and Nick.

Several minutes later, a hammering force threatened to take down the front door. Sebastian sighed as he went to answer it. And there Nick was, looking entirely too cheerful for the situation.

‘Do you even know what has happened?’ Sebastian asked in a long-suffering voice.

‘No!’ Sebastian had expected that word, of course. Still, his heart was pulsing with pain and threatening to explode.

‘We’re in another dimension, and the alternate versions of us are married and have children.’

That made Nick look thoughtful. ‘Huh. So you can actually tell jokes.’

‘Are you even capable of taking anything seriously?’ Sebastian sighed exasperatedly. He seized Nick’s sleeve and dragged him into the dining room. The silence that followed was strange to hear. Nick always had a smart remark for any situation so to see him actually speechless was a treat.

‘Holy shit,’ Nichole finally said slowly, standing up from her chair. ‘This is so freaky.’ She came up to Nick like an inspecting animal, staring at him from all directions.

‘So this is what I look like as a girl,’ Nick said, following her around with his eyes. ‘Wow, you’re taller than I am AND have huge boobs.’

‘Is that sexual harassment or self-love?’ Nichole asked. They stared at each other, then both of them let out a loud noise, quite akin to a fox’s howl, and hugged each other like long-lost siblings.

‘Dude, we’re going to have so much fun together!’ Nichole squealed.

‘We’re going to fuck shit up and no one can stop us!’ Nick said gleefully. ‘What do you think we should do first?’

‘What if you went out and pretended to be me, and when people ask, you say that you hand a sex change?’

‘Oh my God, that’s genius! You should take my phone and record their priceless expressions!’

Sebastian glanced at Seb, who simply smiled and shrugged like he was used to his wife being like this. Well, since this dream looked like it wasn’t going away any second, he was just going to have to accept being in it. That higher power would be laughing its ass off right now. Well, the normal thing to happen would be that they meet once they figure out how to return. And once that happened, Sebastian would give it a piece of his mind. But, still, he had to admit watching how an alternate version of himself existed could be interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Nudity.

Two days came and went since Sebastian and Nick found themselves in an alternate universe. They were no closer to finding the solution to their dilemma than when they first came into it, but their days had been much more eventful than usual, so Sebastian had no reason to complain. Each day was filled with something new and every night he’d be so drained that he slept deeply and restfully. He was so grateful that the nightmares hadn’t come for him. It made him feel much more relaxed and at ease, leading to Nick saying that the stick had been up his ass was lost when the dimension travel occurred. (He had a particularly large lump on his head for the rest of the day.)

The Powell-Hayes was a very interesting bunch. Seb built his company because he was motivated to provide high-quality products to the public and a motivating, rewarding workplace. As a result it had been featured in several economics magazines. Yet despite his success, he remained humble and friendly, which made him all the more likable. Even the attention he received from both men and women didn’t seem to faze him, and he remained loyal to his wife.

Nichole was an artist, which Sebastian wasn’t surprised in the slightest to find out (given Nick’s drawings and doodles). She was also highly regarded in her circle, her paintings displayed in art galleries and purchased by the wealthy. She’d developed something she called The Hayes Technique which allowed her work to look detailed yet effortless. Between her and Seb, they lived a very comfortable life but she also hadn’t developed an ego. She liked wearing revealing outfits to highlight her assets but she showed absolutely no desire to abandon her family.

River, their oldest son, was quite a handful. He argued with his father a lot, which would lead to a tense atmosphere. He was the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for his band and he’d disappear for hours at a time, either to rehearse or practice in his sound-proof room. He barely seemed to care for anything beyond his own world, and a couple of times Sebastian wanted to smack him, but that would be rude.

Sunset, on the other hand, was true to her name. She just seemed to have her own star inside her, leading people to fall in love with her. She had her mother’s energy and her father’s sense of decorum, and her stunning beauty only led to her appeal. She and Nick had taken a liking to each other and it was common to find them joined at the hip, talking about God knows what. Of course, Nick was a natural with children. More than his own mindset, he knew how to engage with them. It made Sebastian feel slightly jealous. He never forgot how Sunset looked at him. But he supposed he was too stiff for her.

On Monday afternoon, Sebastian, Nichole and Nick were having lunch. Sebastian had been growing antsy at the lack of activities to keep him occupied, so he’d taken up the cooking. As expected, Nichole was bad at cooking as her male counterpart; she admitted a huge part of the family budget went to deliveries since Seb was rarely home. Upon hearing that, Sebastian asked if they could go to the nearest grocery store, and the fridge was packed almost to the brim. Nichole was scrolling with her phone; Nick was picking out the vegetables and Sebastian was busy savouring the rich, expensive eggplant. He was determined to have all the gourmet produce he could while he was here.

‘Aw, what the fuck!’ Nichole explained.

‘What?’ Of course Nick just had to finish his picking and had his mouth stuffed when his opportunity to speak presented itself.

‘It’s just - ugh!’ Nichole held out her phone and Sebastian and Nick leaned in. The title of the newspiece was ‘Hank Harper - “Bisexuals Should Pick a Side So They Won’t Be at Risk of Cheating”’.

Nick started coughing violently, and Sebastian was glad to have an excuse to hit him. ‘What the hell!’ he said indignantly. ‘What kind of bullshit is that quote!’

‘Nicole looked upset as she took her phone back. ‘How am I going to produce something for him now?’

‘Is he your client or something?’ Sebastian asked.

‘He’s a big fan of mine. He bought several paintings of mine,’ Nichole said miserably. ‘One time I made something for a museum, and they refused him when he wanted to buy it. I ended up making a copy for him.’

‘So you are bisexual?’

Both Nick and Nichole glared at him and he raised his palms in surrender.

‘As if other sexualities are immune to cheating,’ Nick grumbled, stabbing his vegetables viciously. ‘What is it with these idiots? The straights think we’re gay and the gays think we’re straight.’

‘Who is Hank in your world?’

‘He’s my boss at the grocery store. God, if he ever said something like that to me I’d punch his jaw and sue him dry.’

‘We don’t have the means for that,’ Sebastian reminded him.

‘It’s a figure of speech,’ Nick snapped at him. Wow. He took this much more personally than Sebastian thought. Homophobia hadn’t gone away, of course, but it was pretty rare, and Sebastian was thankful for that. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for Nick. He couldn’t imagine having his sexuality invalidated. Thanks to the activists, the world was much more accepting of homosexuals. But the stain of homophobia wouldn’t go away from the LGBT community, ever.

‘He’s commissioning me to make something for him,’ Nichole continued. ‘He says he wants it to be extraordinary since it’s his first time having something custom from me. And he’s paying a lot more than my other paintings this time. I don’t want to cancel but I don’t work on something half-arsed.’

A gleam appeared in Nick’s eye. Sebastian started focusing on eating. Whatever Nick had in mind, it surely was no good.

‘What if you were to paint me nude and give that to him?’ he said, his voice full of wickedness.

This time it was Sebastian’s turn to choke. He snatched his glass of water and took big gulps. Of course Nick was never shy about his privates, but Sebastian didn’t think he had it in him to be this brazen.

Nichole started laughing. ‘That’s brilliant!’ she said delightly. ‘He’s going to be so shocked at that!’

‘I can pose in the most seductive pose ever and look at the onlooker as if daring to resist me.’ All of Nick’s teeth were bared in his evil grin. ‘Imagine his expression. He’d be so scandalised. We have to find a way to film it.’

‘Are you two finished eating?’ Sebastian asked. ‘Hurry up so I can wash the dishes.’

Without even acknowledging him, both Nick and Nichole got to their feet and headed for her painting studio, discussing which art style would be the most suitable. Sebastian shook his head. He had no desire to involve himself in this business. He had more research to do on how to get home. He told himself it’d be inappropriate to watch them anyway. Nick didn’t consent to that. Sebastian would respect his privacy.

A sensation much like a cold needle tingled in his fingers. Sebastian frowned. Stupid weird bodily functions. He shook his head to clear it and started mentally listing what he was about to do next. He needed to get started on those books. It was rude to overstay his welcome.

*

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Sebastian asked as Nichole stomped through the room, with her lips pouting. He had to admit it’s kind of cute as well as funny, but he had to put a stop to it or his day would be ruined. Nick had done this a couple of times and he wasn’t keen for a repetition.

‘Dunno. She was in the middle of painting yesterday and then she threw her brush down and walked out of the studio,’ Nick shrugged.

‘I HEARD THAT!’ Nichole yelled from the other room, making her voice sound thin.

‘Lucky her, having no one to criticise her when she fucks up and they see the finished product and pay an absurd amount for it,’ Sebastian drawled.

‘Art isn’t all fun and games, Sebastian,’ Nick said reproachingly. ‘We struggle with motivation just like any other job. And that saying “You are your own worst critic” is true. Sometimes it can be enough to demoralise us.’

‘Mm-hmm,’ Sebastian said sceptically, turning over a page of his book and skimming through it, his pen hovering above the notepad he was taking notes on.

Nichole made her way to the kitchen, muttering something under her breath all the while. She opened the fridge and started rummaging through it, making crinkling and thudding noises. It was extremely distracting to Sebastian, and he scowled as he struggled to concentrate. Something landed on the floor with a thud, but she didn’t bother to pick it up and put it back. She slammed the door and chewed on an apple noisily. To his displeasure, she sat down directly across from him.

‘Can’t you do your own work?’ he asked aggressively. It was like being in that office all over again.

‘I’m bored,’ she said haughtily,’ taking a huge bite of her apple.

‘At the very least you can not bother me while I’m busy.’

‘How the fuck am I bothering you? I’m just sitting here!’

‘You eat like a Goddamn animal! Didn’t you parents teach you manners at all?’

‘That’s enough, you two!’ Nick shouted as Nichole stood up, apple juice soaking her hand as she squeezed it, looking livid. ‘Nichole, I think a walk would do you good. Sebastian, stop burying your nose in books. There’s more to life than studying.’

Nichole stuck her tongue out at Sebastian and took off to heed Nick’s word. Sebastian glanced over his notes: Three chapters of this book and he still hadn’t found anything. He sighed. He slammed the book shut and leaned back on his chair, making it tip dangerously.

‘Wanna see what she’s doing so far?’ Nick asked.

‘Why the fuck would I want to do that? You’ve been naked in the house many times. I don’t need to expose myself to it anymore.’

‘Geez. You’d think you live in the nineteenth century with how prudish you are,’ Nick said reproachfully.

‘It’s called having decency. Which you don’t have, apparently.’

‘Come on, Sebastian. It’s just paint on canvas. Since you won’t do it yourself, you can do it with me since I haven’t seen it either.’

‘Doesn’t she allow you to look?’

‘I’m modelling for her, you dipshit. And she says she doesn’t like showing unfinished stuff.’

‘So now you’re violating her privacy,’ Sebastian pointed out.

‘She looks at my dick for hours, so I think this is only fair,’ Nick countered. ‘Come on, Sebastian. She’s been a good host to us. Don’t you think she deserves a little something in return?’

Sebastian doubted that that was what Nichole would want, but he supposed it’s do no harm. ‘Just so you know, I’m using this as blackmail against you.’

‘Knowing what I’m like, she wouldn’t mind,’ Nick shrugged. Together they headed to the studio, which was located next to the master bedroom. Sebastian only had a glimpse of the decor, which was a combination of dark blue and orange, before Nick dragged him into the studio. As expected, art supplies were strewn all over the floor, and the off-white walls had streaks of various colours. Paintings in every stage of completion hung on the walls. There were even no shelves for storage. In the middle of the room were a huge easel covered with white cloth, a simple wooden stool and a chaise that Nick was presumably using to pose on.

‘You really don’t change in any dimension, huh,’ Sebastian commented.

‘It’s called organised chaos.’ Nick approached the easel and swept the cloth over. The painting had an orange background and had a sepia tint to it. Nick’s body was splayed out, every angle visible. She’d layered the paint so that the object looked three-dimensional. Each angle of the finished segments were shaped carefully so that it looked almost blended with the background. Of course the privates were finished; Sebastian looked away before his blush took place completely and Nick could see his embarrassment. He studied the face more carefully. It was definitely odd-looking compared to the rest. Nick’s mouth was definitely not that crooked and his eyebrows didn’t slope like that. But, overall, he had to admit she did a pretty good job. It couldn’t ever come close to the real thing, but she made a commendable effort.

‘Wow,’ Nick said. ‘It’s so weird to see myself as 2D.’

‘Your personality is flat,’ Sebastian informed him.

‘Fuck you!’ Nick’s eyes drifted to the private area. ‘She definitely got my size wrong, though.’

‘So you admit you’re small?’

‘What the f - !’ Nick blushed a bright red. ‘How - how dare you - !’

‘I’m out of here,’ Sebastian shrugged and exited the room, tucking his hands in his pockets. That walk seemed to be a good idea. He figured he could clear his head from the thoughts he’d collected while in that room. However, just as he was about to open the door, Nichole walked in.

‘Oh, that felt good,’ she said, bending her body to the side to get a good stretch. ‘Hi there, other husband. You probably could use a walk, too. It does wonders for the body.’

Sebastian wondered whether he should go through what he had in mind as Nichole took off her shoes, humming. On one hand she’d rightly be mad at him for peeking but he couldn’t just let her struggle like that. He didn’t want someone to look at that painting and assume that was what Nick looked like. Even if they were doing it as a joke, he didn’t like the idea of subpar work.

‘Hey, uh, Nichole,’ he began.

‘Hmm?’ This was the direct opposite of the woman half an hour earlier.

‘Say, um… Are you having trouble with your painting at all?’

‘Not much more than what I usually do. Why?’

‘Well… If you don’t mind… May I have a look at it? I might… Be able to help… Given that I’ve known him for years.’ Sebastian hoped fervently that she wouldn’t take it the wrong way.

‘Wow, it’s your first time actually offering help instead of insisting you know everything!’ Nichole said in surprise.

Of course she’d say something that made him want to change his mind. (dumb that made him want to pull his hair out.) ‘Do you actually want it or not?’

‘Yeah, I suppose it can’t hurt.’ They passed Nick, who was pretending to read a magazine, back to her studio. To his horror Sebastian realised that the painting remained uncovered. Trust Nick to fuck everything up - .

‘Huh. I must’ve forgotten to cover this,’ Nichole said bemusedly. Sebastian exhaled a breath. ‘So, uh, what do you think?’

Sebastian pretended to seem like he was just seeing it for the first time. ‘It’s really good,’ he said honestly. ‘It shows off your personalities.’

Nichole smiled that same smile Nick had, and it made him want to disappear. ‘You know, you sound a lot like Seb like that, when you don’t act like a bastard.’

‘I’m going to scratch out the private area so you’d have to do it again.’

‘And now you’ve ruined the moment,’ she grumbled. ‘So? Any idea how I can improve?’ It just feels foreign to draw a male version of myself. My brain can’t seem to disconnect the two.’

‘Well, can we at least sit down so my legs don’t kill me?’ Sebastian asked, making his way over to the chaise.

‘You don’t even bother to help me with this thing!’ Nichole said indignantly, the canvas teetering dangerously on the easel.

‘If I did you’d complain that I’d ruined it somehow.’

Nichole mumbled something under her breath, but she sat down next to Sebastian and listened as he detailed his suggestions. Explaining how to make his housemate’s nude painting to a female version of said housemate. He was definitely marking this as one of the top three weirdest moments of his life, and he could only assume that list was only going to grow longer.

*

‘Oh, wow,’ Hank Harper said, looking and sounding very much like his counterpart. ‘You really didn’t have to deliver your painting personally, Mrs. Hayes.’

‘Oh please, I insist,’ Nichole simpered. ‘You’re my most valued customer, Mr. Harper. I just have to make this delivery. It would be disrespectful of me otherwise. I feel this is my best work yet.’

‘Well, in that case, thank you so much for your hard work. I’ll have someone transfer the money to you later.’

‘Thank you, Mr. Harper.’ Nichole smiled her sweetest smile. ‘Let me know what you think. You should open it as soon as possible.’

‘I will.’

‘I better get going. Enjoy the painting, Mr. Harper.’ Nichole turned on her heels and walked back inside the car. Hank retreated inside his house, making sure the painting didn’t collide with the doorway.

‘Hurry up!’ Nick said, slapping the dashboard with his hands.

‘I’m trying!’ Nichole cried, fumbling with her phone. She tapped several times and the screen turned black.

‘Do you think he’ll do what you said?’ Nick asked.

‘I am NOT waiting for three hours,’ Nichole said.

‘So where’s the meal that I was promised for coming along?’ Sebastian drawled.

‘You heard the man, Nichole,’ Nick said.

‘Fine, fine.’ Sebastian watched her roll her eyes in the rearview mirror. ‘Keep an eye on the screen. I don’t wanna miss any second of this.’

‘Where do you get this stuff, anyway?’ Nick asked as they turned left.

‘Having a husband as the CEO of a huge company has its perks,’ Nichole replied. ‘You get a lot of free stuff from various companies who want to work together with you.’

‘And apparently one of them is enabling surveillance,’ Sebastian said dryly.

‘I’m not using this to harm anyone else!’ Nichole exclaimed. ‘This is just a prank!’

‘Sure. But you can’t claim other people will do the same thing.’

‘Whatever.’ Nichole parked the car and the three of them headed into the Greek restaurant. The queue wasn’t very long since it was only 11 A.M., but it still gave them ample time to browse through the menu.

‘Are you sure he hasn’t opened it yet?’ Nichole asked when they finished deciding their orders.

‘Calm down, bitch! I want this as much as you do!’ Nick grumbled. Sebastian rolled his eyes and wondered when his life got so weird.

It was only when they were carrying their meal to an empty table that something happened. Nick stopped in his tracks and Sebastian nearly spilled half of his load onto the floor as he bumped into him. He was about to cuss him out, but then - .

‘He’s doing it! He’s doing it!’

‘WHAT! Let me see it!’

Once again a tray was almost upended as Nichole practically dropped it onto the table. The two blonds hunched over the phone and even Sebastian couldn’t help but to sneak a peek.

Slowly the screen revealed more of the outside world as somebody tore open the wrapping paper. Nichole made a squealing noise like a fox cub and Nick looked like he was going to crush her phone in his hands. And sure enough, Harper’s face turned from shock to outrage when he saw the painting.

‘Mission accomplished!’ Nichole whooped. She and Nick high-fived each other then tried to get Sebastian to do the same. He looked at her with a bored expression as he took his third bite of a moussaka. She stuck out her tongue at him.

‘Please call me, please call me,’ Nichole chanted. She seemed too jittery to even realise she had food in front of her. Nick just took his entire slice of saganaki and dumped it into his mouth. Sebastian wondered if he was just a black hole.

The horrible ringtone came on and she snatched the phone faster than lightning. ‘Hello, Mr. Harper,’ she said, still sugary. ‘How do you like the painting?’

‘What is the meaning of this, Mrs. Hayes?’ Harper’s voice cracked through the loudspeaker.

‘Oh, I just thought a little experiment would be good for me. You did say I can paint whatever I want, after all.’

‘This - this is - obscene! Indecent!’ Harper actually sounded apoplectic.

‘How rude of you, sir. I created that piece to celebrate the beauty of life.’

‘I refuse to purchase anything else from you ever again, Mrs. Hayes! Our relationship is done!’

‘’You won’t be missed, Mr. Harper.’ Nichole hung up, and she and Nick roared with laughter.

‘His face! It’s so much better than I even dreamed!’ Nichole wiped her eyes with her hands.

‘Suck it, you biphobe!’ Nick stuck his middle finger to the disconnected screen.

‘Aren’t you ashamed someone will find it after he throws it out?’ Sebastian asked.

‘Come on, Sebastian! I’m a piece of art itself! I deserve to be displayed! It’s not like nudity hasn’t been the subject of art since it was born!’

Sebastian sighed. With the way things were going, Nick was going to get arrested by this dimension’s authorities. He hoped they could go back before that had a chance to happen.


	5. Chapter 5

_ Bang! _ The front door burst open and there were the thuds of shoes being kicked off into the wall. ‘Guess who’s back!’ River shouted, tossing his school bag onto the floor.

‘Are you always this loud?’ Sebastian asked him.

‘It’s none of your business.’ Aside from her hair colour, it seemed that River had inherited his mother’s rowdy personality. He made a straight beeline for the fridge and started rummaging through it.

‘Hi, Sebastian,’ Sunset greeted him, much more mild-mannered than her brother. ‘River’s just extra excited today.’

‘There’s no reason for anyone to cause destruction to doors just because of a spike in mood.’

‘Oh, are you two home already?’ Nichole asked. ‘Welcome back.’ She kissed both of her children on the crown of their heads; Sunset smiled but River just grimaced.

‘Mum, don’t be embarrassing. There are people watching,’ he muttered.

‘’What, I’m not allowed to love my favourite son?’ she asked, pulling a pout. ‘And Sebastian isn’t a stranger. He’s your dad from another dimension.’

‘Which makes it even weirder.’ River wrangled out of Nichole’s grip and smiled up at her, the kind a teenager gave when they wanted something from their parent. ‘Mum, can I tell you something?’

‘What is it?’

‘There’s going to be a battle of the bands. The label Raining Leaves is running it. The winner will get a chance to record their album with them.’

‘That’s cool! I assume you and your friends have signed up already.’

‘Duh! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. Which is why I won’t be home as much.’ River smiled up at his mother, clearly adoring her.

‘You won’t need me wishing you good luck, because I know you’ll win - .’

‘And why won’t you be home as much?’ a new voice joined them.

‘Seb!’ Nichole rushed up to him and let him kiss her on the forehead. ‘It’s not like you to be home this early!’

‘Yeah, the workload was unexpectedly light today,’ Seb answered. ‘River, we need to have a talk.’

‘No, we don’t.’ River started to head into his room, but Seb grabbed his wrist.

‘River Powell-Hayes, I would like for us to sit down and have a discussion about a very serious issue.’ Seb’s tone was light but left no room for doubt that he was serious.

River huffed and stalked over to the living room, where he flung himself down onto an armchair and folded his arms. Seb sat down a fair distance away from him. Sebastian was suddenly thankful that he didn’t have children. He couldn’t imagine trying to control a stubborn monster like River.

‘May I ask you why you’ll be coming home late every day?’ Seb asked.

River mumbled something, glaring outside the window.

‘Please make eye contact and raise your voice when you’re conversing with another person.’

‘I’m rehearsing for a battle of the bands!’ River’s voice grew increasingly louder. Sebastian definitely would’ve spanked him if he were his son.

Seb didn’t bother to point out his rudeness. Sebastian had to marvel at his patience. ‘Your band activities are becoming more invasive, River. Your last report card just barely made ‘Passable’. You’re not focusing hard enough on your studies.’

‘My grades are fine, thank you very much.’

‘They may well be now, but if you kept this up, you’ll fall down further and further. Do you want that to happen?’

‘It won’t happen.’

‘I’m glad you think so. But I want to make sure of it. So, starting from tomorrow, a tutor will come to the house five times a week to make sure you’re not falling behind.’

‘WHAT!’ River yelled, standing up. ‘How am I supposed to rehearse with my band?’

‘You can still do that on the weekends.’

‘That’s not enough time! This is our chance to record an album, dad! If we didn’t practice enough, we won’t make it!’

‘I just want you to put more effort in - .’

‘Bullshit!’ River yelled. ‘You just don’t like that I’m not your perfect, obedient son! Well, I’ll say this now. My band WILL get that record deal, and you’ll eat your words!’ He ran out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Seb sighed and leaned back in his seat, pinching his nose. It was Sebastian’s habit when he was stressed and he felt a weird kind of deja vu to watch his copy mimicking it. ‘How else am I supposed to handle him, Nichole?’ he asked. ‘I’ve tried everything. It’s like he sees me as the enemy.’

‘Oh, honey.’ Nichole sat down next to him and wound her arms around his shoulders. ‘He’s in that teenager phase. He’ll grow out of it.’

Seb let Nichole push him down onto her lap, stroking his hair. ‘I remember the day you told me you were pregnant with him. I can still feel his weight in my arms on the day of his birth. He used to run to me whenever he wanted something. What changed, Nick?’

‘He does love you,’ Nichole answered, even though she sounded doubtful. ‘He just doesn’t know how to show it.’

‘Well, it doesn’t feel like it.’ Seb smiled at Sebastian. ‘I’m sorry you have to see us this way.’

Sebastian shrugged. ‘Everyone has their own problems. I’m not in a place to judge.’

‘Please don’t think badly of him. He’s a good kid.’

‘If you say so.’ Sebastian walked away. He noticed how Seb looked, utterly haggard with dark circles around his eyes. This was the first time he’d come home in a while, and Nichole mentioned just how backbreaking his workload was. Sebastian wondered if it was worth having a lot of money, if he was too busy to enjoy it and his loved ones turned away from him.

*

‘...look so creepy when you do that,’ Nick’s voice floated from another room.

‘Like you’re not as bad,’ River shot back.

‘How the fuck would you know, brat?’

‘Mum does it, so it stands to reason you do it, too.’

‘Oh.’ For once Nick sounded embarrassed at being caught. ‘Well, can you not be so annoying with it?’

‘You don’t have to watch me do it?’

‘Then what am I supposed to look at?’

‘I dunno, the ceiling, maybe?’

‘So I just tilt my head until I develop bad posture while I wait for you?’

‘What is it with you two now?’ Sometimes Sebastian felt like he was the sole parent of his family, what with Seb being away for long stretches of time and Nick and Nichole being...well, Nick and Nichole. Seb was working as usual; Nichole had dashed off to a museum to defuse an emergency on her upcoming exhibit and Sunset was out with her girlfriends.

‘This little insect is going round and round the room like a headless insect!’ Nick battled.

‘I have to do it otherwise the creative juices won’t flow, you man-child!’

‘What did you say, you twerp!’

‘Quiet down, you two!’ Both Nick and River were grinning at each other, and Sebastian wasn’t keen on their competition at hurling insults at each other escalate. ‘It’s rare for you to be outside your bedroom.’

‘I’m trying to write a song for the battle of the bands, but the words won’t come out. And doing this in my bedroom was getting old so I thought a change of scenery would be nice.’

‘Hey, what if you played it for us?’ Nick suggested

‘W-what?’ River seemed oddly mortified.

‘I think you need an outside opinion. If you play the song and tell me what the lyrics are supposed to convey, maybe I can help you.’

‘I… But…’ River flicked his eyes to Sebastian, which was very strange indeed. ‘You and mum are artists. I play the guitar and sing. I don’t know how you can help me.’

‘Come on. All artists work towards the same thing, don’t we? We want to expose our emotions to our audience. That applies to every medium.’

‘You don’t have to show us the lyrics if you don’t want to,’ Nick assured him. ‘Just tell us the general feeling.’

‘Well… All right then.’ It was quite rare to see River being so...amicable. Usually he was quite reactionary to events. It reminded Sebastian of himself, and he shuddered. He hoped he wasn’t as insufferable.

A minute later River returned, carrying his electric guitar. The basic red body was hidden underneath mounds of stickers, most of whom were scratched themselves. It looked abused, yet you could tell it was cherished and cared for. He plugged it into an empty socket and sat down, crossing his left leg over his right knee. ‘I have the music done already,’ he said, fiddling with the knobs and plucking the strings with the pick. ‘But for some reason I just can’t fit the words. Everything sounds too over-the-top.’ He strummed slowly at first, but then picked up the pace. Sebastian had to admit it sounded nice even though he barely listened to music in his own dimension.

‘What’s the song about?’ Nick asked.

River turned red and looked down so they couldn’t see his eyes. ‘It’s about wanting someone to come back to you,’ he mumbled.

‘Oh. You really like your girl that much, huh.’

‘...Yeah.’

‘In my opinion she’s making a mistake,’ Nick said confidently. ‘Tell her you’re feeling it from the heart.’

‘Uh… OK.’ River sounded weirdly confused, like Nick understood the complete opposite of what he meant.

‘I tell you what. Don’t bother trying to make it sound cheesy. People will catch on to it. If there’s anything that should be outlawed in art, it’s phoniness, in my opinion. If you want to express something, then do that even if it sounds lame.’

‘...Will that really work?’

‘Sure will, bud!’ Nick grinned impishly, giving River the thumbs up.

River smiled, and in that moment Sebastian could see himself in that youthful face. He had the feeling that the song was much more personal than a mere teenage relationship. River continued playing along and humming to the guitar, and for the first time in a long while, Sebastian felt contentment wash over him. Whatever this was, this was meant to happen. And none of their lives would be the same ever again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Blood, surgery without anaesthesia.

‘...and then he shouted “Fuuuck you, Nickolas Hayes!” like the idiot he is!’ Nick said triumphantly.

‘Oh my God!’ River gasped, wiping his eyes. ‘That’s brilliant! I can’t believe he fell for that!’

‘More! More!’ Sunset said eagerly.

‘What are you guys up to now?’ Sebastian asked as he carried that week’s groceries to the kitchen.

‘Nick was just telling us how you - ,’ River began.

‘River!’ Nick hissed. ‘Shut up or I’ll be in serious trouble!’

‘What is it?’ Sebastian narrowed his eyes. If Nick was telling a story, there was a high chance he was the butt of the joke. He started listing punishments in his head.

‘Nick is telling us stories of your dimension!’ Sunset said brightly.

‘Whatever he told you, it’s 99% embellishment to make himself look good.’ Sebastian sat down on the chair opposite Nick’s. If you want to hear an accurate story, you need to come to me.’

‘As if you would make yourself look bad!’ Nick exclaimed.

‘Fine. Let Sebastian tell his side of the story. Then we decide who has the best version,’ Nichole said.

Sebastian sighed. ‘Fine. What do you want to hear?’

‘When you guys first moved in together!’ Sunset suggested.

Sebastian supposed it was neutral enough. ‘Fine,’ he agreed.

* * *

Sebastian tapped his foot on the ground impatiently. He had been waiting for fifteen minutes already and the guy hadn’t shown up. He was wondering if this house-sharing business was worth it, after all. He started sorting his expenditures in his head, wondering if he could eliminate some of them entirely. Food was non-negotiable. But he supposed he could deal with having the same meal for a week straight. And he probably should learn ‘home skills’ to avoid shelling out money for someone - .

‘You look more like a criminal about to rob this house than a regular dude waiting for a guest,’ a voice said.

Sebastian yelled and actually fell to the ground on his bottom. The male looming above him looked cheekily amused. His dirty blond hair stuck out in all directions and he had an almost fox-like squint, so it was impossible to tell what his eye colour was. He was wearing an orange T-shirt with a black spiral on the stomach area, and his jeans had small tears and traces of mud stains. Both of his sneakers had holes in the toe area.

‘Now you look like a disgruntled cartoon antagonist who’s pissed his prey had gotten away,’ the male continued. He held out his hand, but Sebastian pushed himself up.

‘Do you realise what time it is?’ He was aware he wasn’t making a good first impression, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was already formulating a plan for this dude to change his mind; if he was this insufferable at the start, Sebastian could only imagine what he was like a housemate.

‘Three o’clock,’ the blond said innocently.

‘It’s three-seventeen!’ Sebastian hissed, pointing at his phone.

‘It’s still three o’clock,’ the blond shrugged.

‘You can’t just assume other people have the same sense of time as you! What if I had other urgent matters?’

‘You wouldn’t have scheduled this interview, then,’ the blond pointed out.

Sebastian had no reply to that. ‘Fine,’ he huffed, not pleased at being defeated. ‘Your name and job.’

‘Nick Hayes, unemployed.’

‘So you want to rent a house with no source of income?’

‘The judge has given me three months to look for new accommodations and a job while I stay at a temporary house.’

‘So you’re a criminal?’ Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

‘How is improving ugly statues with paint breaking the law? In my opinion, I was doing a great service.’

Sebastian rolled his eyes. ‘Whatever. Let’s just do this while we go through the house.’ He turned to open the front door.

‘So you’re not going to give me your name and job?’ Nick asked, his tone incredulous.

Sebastian’s heart missed a beat. ‘Don’t you know it?’

‘How am I supposed to know? You didn’t put it in your ad and you don’t give it when you texted me. Don’t tell me you’re some rich kid whose famous parents kicked you out because they wanted you to learn how to stand on your own two feet.’

Sebastian exhaled. There was someone who wasn’t aware of who he was. He felt a tiny spark of hope. Maybe he could build a natural relationship with this Nick. ‘It’s Sebastian,’ he said shortly, letting himself in the house and moving aside to allow Nick to do the same.

‘Never heard of someone with only one single name. And if you have a money tree growing somewhere that you don’t have your own job, I want to know where I can get one, too.’

‘Sebastian Powell. And I work at an insurance company as a data analyst.’

‘So can you ask your boss to cover us if the house is burned down?’

‘Are you suggesting you’re a danger to my safety?’

‘Nah, man. I’m broke, and I’d rather not live in the streets.’

‘I’ll see what I can do. So, what do you think?’

‘Hmm.’ Nick tucked his chin on the space between his thumb and index and pulled a thinking expression. The squint reminded Sebastian irresistibly of a fox, along with the orange T-shirt. He clenched his fists. Nick was his only hope. The others were either afraid of him or had unshakable preconceived notions of him because of his identity. Sebastian didn’t believe in praying, but he willed with all his might for Nick to give his assent.

‘Well, the house is big enough to hold both of us, and I can see nothing that needs to be fixed,’ Nick said. ‘And you seem like an all right dude, even if you’re a bit of a prick. I guess if you leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone.’

‘So is that a yes?’

‘Nah, I just got a message that some distant relative of mine had just died and passed their wealth to me,’ Nick rolled his eyes.

Sebastian couldn’t help but to exhale a breath in mirth. It was the first genuine laugh he had in so long. Somehow Nick’s presence filled him with hope. He might not know what the future held, at least it would be more bearable with Nick as a friend.

*

Sebastian was just about ready to throw himself off a building as he dragged his feet towards the front door. His workplace had made him grind his nose to the gear, forcing him to stay up after midnight, and he could barely keep his eyes open. He’d even taken his clothes and toiletries so as not go back and forth between his place every day. Maybe he should just not come in altogether next Monday. No. He couldn’t afford that. Nick still hadn’t found a job, and his stipend was barely enough to cover his share of the rent.

Sebastian rummaged in his bag for his keys. As he thumbed through them, he became aware of something climbing up his leg. Looking down, to his horror he saw ants pooling around his foot. He pushed them off in disgust and turned the key in the hole. But when he pushed the door he found it just moved a few centimetres forward. He pushed harder and there was a groaning, scraping sound. He shoved his entire weight on the panel and finally stumbled. And what he saw finally pushed over his boiling point.

The house was an absolute bomb. Food packages, plates and clothes covered the entire floor, leaving practically no room to walk. The air had a horrible stench, a mixture of old food and body odour. Sebastian coughed and wiped his streaming eyes, wading through the rubble to get through the main hall. And there was Nick sleeping on the lone couch, his right arm and leg draping off and saliva on his cheek glistening under the light of the stars. Sebastian kicked a pizza box out of the way, marched over and grabbed Nick’s T-shirt, pulling him up. ‘What the fuck is your problem?’

Nick opened his eyes blearily, smacking his lips from sleep. The sound made Sebastian want to throw him bodily onto the coffee table. ‘Oh, Sebastian,’ he said blearily. ‘You’re home early.’

‘What is the meaning of this?’ Sebastian bellowed, dropping Nick back down and gesturing at the pandemonium behind him. ‘Don’t you know how to clean up after yourself?’

‘Ah. I didn’t think you’d me home until tomorrow,’ Nick said, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. ‘I swear I was gonna clean it up before you came.’

‘Do you know the first rule of co-habiting a space? It’s to clean up after yourself!’

‘OK, OK,’ Nick said, beginning to sound annoyed. ‘You don’t need to be so up and arms about this.’ He bent down and started picking up packaging.

The sight of Nick only trying to fix his mistake then and the lack of sleep only made Sebastian angrier. ‘You should’ve done this from the start! Or, if you think you can’t share a space with another person, get your own house or something! All you do is sleep, eat and shit while I slave away at my office! Are you even looking for work or did you just want someone to fund your laziness?’

‘Do you know how hard it is to get a job if you have a criminal record? They don’t even give you a chance to prove yourself!’

‘Nobody told you to commit a crime, did they?’

‘So am I not allowed to make mistakes and be a human?’

‘Becoming a criminal is not a mistake! You chose to do wrongdoing willingly and got punished accordingly!’

‘Look, you’re not helping matters, OK? I know how to clean up a place. I just like to wait until there’s enough to do before actually doing it.’

‘You only doing this now is not the point! This is a fucking health hazard! God, I shudder to think what your parents are like if they had you for a son - !’

Faster than lightning, Nick slammed Sebastian onto the wall with such force that knocked the wind out of him. It was a wonder he could navigate through the clutter. For being shorter than Sebastian, he was surprisingly strong. Sebastian struggled to breathe with Nick’s strong forearm on his chest, his toes floating a centimetre off the ground.

‘I’m sorry,’ Nick whispered. It was deep and rumbling, much like a fox’s growl, and it sparked genuine fear in Sebastian’s stomach. His eyes, usually sparkling with warmth, now blazed like icy fire. ‘But I need you to repeat what you said about my parents.’

Sebastian gulped. He’d discovered Nick’s identity a few days ago, when someone at the office made an offhand remark and it led him to look it up on the internet to see if it was true. Nick’s parents had died on the day of his birth, but it was much more than natural causes. Sebastian knew he could be crass sometimes, but he probably need to rein than in after this.

‘If I ever hear you even so much as think the wrong way about my parents again,’ Nick leaned forward so his lips were right next to Sebastian’s ear, ‘I will personally make sure every second of the rest of your life a living hell.’ The heat and rush of wind on his skin sent goosebumps down Sebastian’s spine. ‘Do you understand me, Sebastian Powell?’

‘Crystal clear.’

‘Good.’ Nick released Sebastian, whose body sagged against the wall like it wanted to sink into it. Nick strode away, disappearing around the corner of the doorway. Sebastian heard the front door opening and then slamming. He rubbed his chest, wondering if he deeded to put up a new housemate ad.

*

Sebastian wiped a drop of sweat off his brow as he surveyed his handiwork. It had taken him the entire day to get the house into the pristine state he desired. Nick still hadn’t returned from wherever he was, and Sebastian was thankful for that. On the other hand the cleaning had actually been relaxing for him after his hectic week. The grey carpeting was finally visible and the air smelled of the beach, his favourite scent of air freshener.

Sebastian wondered if he should call Nick. No, it was probably a lost cause. He didn’t know how Nick would react; the call would probably get ignored, anyway. He collapsed onto the sofa, suddenly aware of how worn he was. A two-hour nap would be nice. He closed his eyes, imagining himself contacting people to persuade to live with him again. The prospect was unpleasant. The disdainful looks of knowing who he was and polite reluctance of incompatibility were bad enough the first.

A knock started him just as he drifted off. Sebastian jumped up and strode to the front door. Finally Nick was back. He was starting to wonder if he should call the police - .

The brown-haired stranger wasn’t Nick at all. Sebastian didn’t bother to hide his disappointed scowl. ‘Yes? How can I help you?’

‘Are you looking for someone to live with you?’ the man asked.

How fortuitous. ‘I guess you can say that,’ Sebastian admitted. He supposed it was better to be prepared just in case Nick decided to leave.

‘Great. I’d like to apply.’

‘Wait. This isn’t a good time right now,’ Sebastian said. ‘Just leave me your number and I’ll get back to you when I can.’ He made to close the door, but the man stopped it with a surprisingly-strong arm.

‘No, seriously dude. I’m really pressed for time,’ he insisted. ‘I have my clothes with me, and I swear to stay out of your way.’

‘You can’t just go up to someone for a favour and expect them to agree to it,’ Sebastian said, annoyed. ‘Leave me alone, or I’ll call the coppers - .’

A loud crash emanated from Sebastian’s room. He looked around, puzzled at what could’ve made that noise. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, he said, turning around. As he did so, he heard the click of a gun.

‘Don’t move another step,’ the man said. Sebastian realised what this was about. He raised his hands and turned back to face the accomplice. He noted that the man was gripping the gun confidently, which meant he was trained to handle the weapon.

‘What makes you think I have anything of value?’ he asked, keeping a straight face. But he was calculating how he could escape from this situation unscathed and whether Nick would come back and make the situation more complicated.

‘You never know,’ the man said. If he didn’t bother to put on a mask, then he must be wearing a wig and contact lenses. Sebastian had to applaud him in his confidence in having ordinary-looking features. ‘Your phone, for starters.’

‘I bought it seven years ago. No one would buy a seven-year-old phone.’ Sebastian had a mental image of his phone, lying on the dining table. He couldn’t afford to have it stolen. Too many sensitive data was in it to fall into the wrong hands.

‘Someone would eventually,’ the man shrugged.

‘So how long would that take? A month won’t cut it. And you came to me asking if I wanted a housemate, so you must know I don’t have a lot of cash.’

The floor behind him creaked, and Sebastian decided to take his chances. He whipped around and tried to move to the left to throw the robber off, but a bang exploded. He felt a small bullet bury itself in his calf and he let out a yell of agony, dropping onto the ground.

‘Got his phone,’ the other voice said. Sebastian tried to push his body up, but the lack of energy made him unable to lift more than a few centimetres.

‘Ugh!’ The pain shot up his leg and his brain was threatening to pass out. The thieves’ voices were getting blurry as they made their way to the balcony. This was it. He was going to have to wait for several long months to save up enough money for a new phone. And in the meantime he still needed to pay someone to fix the plumbing in the bathroom - .

There was a crunch and a thud. Sebastian tried to figure out what was going on but his brain wouldn’t connect the dots. There was rapid clicking from an empty gun and running footsteps but there was another crunch and thud. Then there were scraping sounds as two bodies were dragged across the floor, followed by the door being shut firmly and locked. There was some silence, then a familiar voice asking the police to come to the house to pick up two criminals.

Sebastian tried to speak but found out that he could only make slurred noises. He was lifted to a standing position and his arm draped around broad shoulders. He hobbled along, hissing every time he had to rest his weight on his leg. The walk felt like an aeon until he was released face down onto the sofa. He could feel the blood pouring from the wound like water and he felt ready to faint at what that must have looked like.

Soon a clattering noise came and something was being placed on the floor. ‘Nick,’ Sebastian said weakly. ‘I…’

‘Find something to bite down on and don’t move, because this will hurt.’ Nick didn’t sound cold, only matter-of-fact, but Nick had saved him. Sure, it was the right thing to do, but he’d put himself at risk when he didn’t need to. It made Sebastian swallow his shame.

‘Are you ready?’ Nick asked.

‘What are you doing?’

I’m taking out the bullet. We don’t have anything to numb the pain, so you’d better get ready.’

Finding no other option, Sebastian bunched his shirt and stuffed it into his mouth. The first time the tweezers pried his skin apart made him scream until his throat felt raw. Nick dug into the wound in order to access the bullet, and Sebastian didn’t think he’d experienced pain quite like this in his life. Nick stopped for a moment, and that allowed Sebastian to take a breath, but the pain returned as the tweezers invaded his body.

It went on and on. Sebastian was beginning to think there was no end to it. Nick wasn’t the gentlest as he worked, and he was providing no talk as a distraction. Sebastian could barely see with the tears streaming down his cheeks, and his throat was starting to feel raw from the screaming. Blackness was threatening to overtake him, and he welcomed it. He could feel the warmth, much like his mother’s embrace… He hadn’t felt it in so long… He wanted it more than anything…

Then the pressure on his leg lifted and the pain ceased to wrack him. Sebastian released his shirt, which was soaked with his saliva, and took several gasping breaths. His hair and back were sticky with sweat. He could feel his leg being wiped with some cotton fabric and bandages being wound around it to secure what turned out to be Nick’s shirt.

‘Nick… Your shirt…’ he managed weakly.

‘It’s fine.’ Nick’s blond brows were furrowed in concentration as he worked. He was efficient, leading Sebastian to wonder if he’d done this before. There was so much about Nick Hayes that he didn’t know, and he discovered that he wanted to know all of it.

Nick pulled the bandage from the original roll and tucked it in right above the wound, leading Sebastian to hiss. He suspected it was done on purpose, which meant he was still mad at him. But it didn’t matter. Nick came back, and Sebastian was going to make sure he stayed.

* * *

‘Are you all right, River? You look a little pale,’ Nichole said.

‘I… I don’t do so well with blood,’ River said thickly.

‘That was amazing!’ Sunset, on the other hand, looked enthralled. ‘Tell us another story!’

‘That’s enough, kids.’ Nichole helped River get to his feet. ‘Sebastian and Nick need their rest. Say goodnight.’

‘Night,’ River mumbled.

‘Can we continue tomorrow?’ Sunset persisted.

‘Of course!’ Nick gave her a fist bump, and he and Sebastian watched the family disappear.

‘How do you remember that much?’ Nick asked in amazement.

‘I have a good memory.’ Sebastian was pretty sure he pulled off his bored, nonchalant look.

‘No one can recall memories like you just did down to the smallest detail!’

‘Would you ever forget a memory of being shot and being taken out without anaesthesia?’

‘I guess not.’

‘I rest my case.’ The truth was that Sebastian filed every single memory of Nick in his head so that they could help him out of bad moods, but he’d rather die than tell anyone that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Suicide, graphic descriptions of injuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. As you probably can tell, this chapter fucked me up for the LONGEST time. Nevertheless, I hope you still enjoy it.

‘Mummy! Mummy!’ Sunset said, pulling at her mother’s shirt. ‘When are Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Ivan visiting us again! It’s been over a month!’

‘I don’t know, darling,’ Nichole answered. ‘Why don’t you get my phone in my bedroom and we’ll ask them?’

‘OK!’ Sunset ran off, her feet thumping on the carpet.

‘Grandma and Grandpa?’ Sebastian repeated.

‘Ah, yes. They’re Seb’s parents,’ Nichole replied. ‘Why do you sound so surprised? Aren’t they alive in your world?’

An image of his family flashed in Sebastian’s eyes. His stern father, his sweet mother, his handsome brother. ‘...They’re dead.’

‘Oh.’ Nichole’s eyes turned sympathetic. ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

Sebastian shrugged. ‘I’m over it.’ Which was half-true; the nightmares had stopped entirely since the dimension hop. For the first time in a very long time, he could actually feel the effects of a restful night’s sleep.

‘But is it OK if they came to visit?’ Nichole asked.

‘What? Of course. Sunset deserves to see her extended family.’

‘I meant for you.’ Nichole gave him a serious look.

‘Oh.’ Sebastian thought about it. ‘Why not. They’re not my family anyway.’

‘Sebastian.’ Nichole walked up to him and looked at him with the same soul-searching eyes as Nick. It made him feel naked and exposed. ‘You just told me your entire family is dead I don’t believe you’d be entirely fine with seeing them again, even if they’re not related to you by blood.’

‘What makes you think I’m going to collapse at their feet and cry my eyes out?’

‘Because I’m married to an alternate version of you, and when he loves someone, he does so with his whole heart. And I have no reason to believe you don’t do the same.’

Sebastian looked away. Fortunately he was saved by Sunset bounding into the room again. ‘Here, Mum! Ask them to come over tonight since it’s Friday night!’

‘Don’t get your hopes up, honey. They might have other plans,’ Nichole said as she thumbed through her phone and then held it up to her ear. ‘Hello, Madeline,’ she said warmly. ‘It’s a pleasure to hear your voice… Oh, my last piece did much better than I could’ve hoped… Listen, are you and Frederick and Ivan busy tonight? Sunset’s been begging to see you…’

Sebastian watched as Nichole spoke to who was presumably her mother-in-law, but it was like she was just mouthing the words. He could feel himself being pulled back… To when all of it began…

* * *

‘Yaaay! Ivan’s home!’ Sebastian chirped as he bounded down the stairs to approach his brother, who had just closed the door behind him.

‘Whoa,’ Ivan said, ruffling Sebastian’s hair. ‘How’s my favourite little brother going?’

‘But I’m your only little brother,’ Sebastian pointed out.

‘I know. And that’s why you’re my favourite.’ Ivan smiled down at Sebastian, the perfect epitome of an older sibling.

Sebastian giggled, delighted at being someone’s favourite. ‘How did the interview go?’

Ivan’s smile slipped. ‘Not good,’ he answered quietly.

‘Don’t worry, big brother!’ Sebastian said importantly, puffing out his chest. ‘You’ll find a job soon enough! Then everyone else will regret not hiring you!’

That got a smile out of Ivan again, if a little smaller. ‘Thanks, kid,’ he said. He reached out for Sebastian, grabbed him by the leg and yanked him into the air. He used that opportunity to tickle the exposed stomach.

‘Ivan!’ Sebastian shrieked. ‘Please - stop that! You - know - how - I hate - being tickled!’ His giggles made his speech a little halted.

‘Boys, stop fooling around and help me out here!’ Madeline called out from the kitchen.

‘OK!’ both boys answered. Ivan walked over still holding Sebastian’s ankle.

‘Ivan, stop that or I’ll string you up from the ceiling!’ Madeline’s words were graphic but her kind eyes suggested that she would never follow them through.

‘OK, Mum.’ Ivan finally let Sebastian down on the floor, where he stood up and swayed from the blood flowing normally down his body.

‘Don’t worry, Mum! I’ll eat this dinner and I’ll grow bigger than Ivan and hold him up by the leg!’ he proclaimed.

‘Pfft. You’ll never catch up to me.’

‘Yes I will!’

The exchange went on until the last dish was brought over to the set table. And just in time, Frederick came through the front door looking visibly tired in his police uniform. Sebastian trembled with excitement as he pulled out a chair for his father. It was rather rare for his family to be together like this, and he was determined to make the most of it.

‘So how was your interview, Ivan?’ Madeline asked as she picked up her cutlery and transferred food to her plate.

Ivan looked down at his own plate, having made no moves to imitate her. ‘Not good.’ It was the exact same tone that he used, and it made Sebastian feel strange.

‘This is why I told you to become a police officer,’ Frederick said, already plowing through his plate. ‘You are a seventh-generation Powell, Ivan. It is your duty to continue what has been bestowed upon you.’

‘For the last time, I don’t want to become a police officer, Dad.’ Hearing the toneless voice uttering a complete sentence was uncomfortable, and Sebastian looked up, chewing on his mouthful.

‘What good does sitting on a desk for eight hours do? You’re just giving your life away to a corporation that sees you as expendable.’

‘It’s the kind of work I enjoy, Dad.’

‘You don’t succeed in this world by having fun, Ivan!’ Frederick said, his voice rising. ‘You have to work to live a fulfilling life! As an officer you get to help ordinary citizens. Nothing is more rewarding than that! What are you going to achieve by counting numbers ?’

Ivan slammed his glass down and stood up, much to everyone’s astonishment. He was vibrating with visible rage; his fists were clenched so tightly that veins were popping, and Sebastian could’ve sworn that his eyes were literally red with rage.

‘I’ve had enough of this!’ he burst out. ‘All my life you’ve been telling me what to do without even considering how I felt about it! “Do this, Ivan!” “Don’t do that, Ivan!” Are you going to ever think of me as a human being or are you just going to see me as a pawn for the rest of my life?’

‘Don’t you take that tone with me, boy!’ Frederick bellowed, also getting to his feet. ‘I’m just thinking about what’s good for you! Tomorrow you and I will go to the station and meet with my supervisor!’

Ivan slowly sat back down. He looked horrified that he’d actually spoke out against Frederick. Madeline was staring down at her food; whether she’d heard every word or was oblivious it was hard to tell.

The rest of the meal continued with frigid silence with the exception of clinking metal on china. Sebastian hardly dared to look at anyone except his own plate, not wanting to be dragged in. He always hated when this happened. All he wanted was for everyone to get along without worrying about what was coming. He hated his father’s loud voice, his mother crying, his brother’s dead eyes.

After forty-five minutes, but what felt like a decade to Sebastian, the meal was done. Ivan stood up straight away and left without even taking his plate to the sink. Madeline was still staring down at her half-full plate and Frederick had taken to talking to someone on his phone about availability. Sebastian dutifully collected the plates and glasses and began sorting them so he could wash them easier. While he worked his mind’s gears turned. There had to be a way to fix all of this. He had to, otherwise they’d fall apart. Sebastian loved his family dearly and all he wanted was for them to be happy like a real family should be.

A plan was starting to bubble in his mind by the time he had finished brushing his teeth. He’d think about it for fifteen minutes before going to sleep, and the next morning he’d fine-tune the details. He was happy about this development and didn’t think too much about why his room was dark.

‘Aah!’ he cried out at the figure of Ivan sitting at his desk. ‘Ivan! I didn’t expect you to be here! You scared me!’

‘Hello, Sebastian.’ There was something oddly eerie about the lack of inflection in Ivan’s voice and his hair was draped over his eyes. 

‘What are you doing here, anyway?’ Sebastian asked.

‘I’ve come to say…good night.’

‘Oh.’ Sebastian relaxed and headed for his wardrobe to find his pyjamas. ‘That’s new. You could’ve told me beforehand if you wanted to make this a thing.’

Ivan didn’t respond. He just watched as Sebastian completed his bedtime routine. Sebastian felt mildly unnerved. This was very unlike his brother. He’d always been mysterious in his ways, but this was another level. Sebastian wished he could find out what was going inside his brother’s mind.

‘It’s OK, Ivan,’ he said cheerily, trying to make his brother smile. ‘You’ll find the job you like and Dad will come around.’

‘...I guess.’ Ivan grimaced, like he tried to smile but didn’t know how.

‘Why don’t we play basketball tomorrow?’ Sebastian suggested, climbing into bed. ‘I think it’ll do you good to get some exercise.’

‘I… I can’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘I’m...busy.’

‘Oh. Well, just tell me when you’re free and I’ll be ready.’

‘Sebastian…’ Ivan’s voice cracked.

‘Ivan? Is something wrong?’ Sebastian tensed. Ivan looked strangely anguished.

‘Promise me… That you’ll live your life.’

‘What?’

‘Promise me… That you’ll pursue your dream. That you’ll ignore the naysayers. That you’ll do everything in your power to be the very best version of yourself. Because you deserve that.’

‘Ivan… What’s gotten into - ?’

‘Promise me, Sebastian.  _ Now _ .’

‘Uh, OK. I promise.’

‘Swear it.’ Ivan’s fist squeezed Sebastian’s blanket so hard that the veins started to pop.

‘I swear to follow my dreams no matter what, because I deserve it.’

‘Thank you.’ Ivan’s smile was one of relief, and Sebastian was glad that he was back to normal once more. Ivan pulled the blanket so that it covered Sebastian comfortably.

‘Night, Ivan.’ Sebastian tucked his legs into his body.

‘...Good night.’ Ivan then did something he hadn’t done in a very long time. He gave Sebastian’s forehead a gentle peck.

‘You’re such a sap!’ Sebastian called out. ‘I’m gonna get you for that tomorrow!’

The chuckle that came out of Ivan was slightly watery, but Sebastian was unconscious before he had time to process it.

The next morning Sebastian woke to loud thumps and bellowing. He groaned to himself, wondering what would be the cause of such a commotion. This was a Saturday. He glanced at the clock: 7:23. No one should be allowed up this early.

The noises were becoming clearer now: Frederick was stomping around the house and ranting about something. Sebastian hurriedly sat up just in case his father decided to come into his room. Sure enough, the door burst open, and Frederick and Madeline came in; he was red in the face with apoplectic rage and she had her fingers to her mouth as though she had been chewing her nails.

‘Darling, he’s still asleep! Let him have his rest!’ Madeline cried.

‘Sebastian! Do you know where your brother is?’ Frederick shouted.

‘N-no, sir!’ Sebastian pulled his knees in, afraid of this new, scary person.

‘Don’t lie to me! I saw him come into this room last night! He must’ve told you something!’

‘I - I don’t know! He said he was busy!’

‘Then call him!’

‘O-OK!’ Sebastian’s shaking hands trembled to pick up his phone. He’d never seen his father this furious before. He wanted to cry from the fear. On one hand he wanted Ivan to come back but he also wanted him to stay away so he wouldn’t face Frederick’s wrath.

‘H-he’s not picking up!’ Sebastian stammered.

‘God damn it!’ The thumps on the carpet would’ve put an elephant to shame as Frederick stormed away. Madeline sat down on Sebastian’s bed, looking haggard and word; her hair stuck up in several directions.

‘It’s OK, Mum,’ Sebastian tried to soothe Madeline, taking her hand in his. ‘They’ll make up soon.’

‘Oh, Sebastian…’ She collapsed and sobbed into his shoulder. ‘When will this end?’

Sebastian couldn’t answer her, for even he did not know it. He could only rub her back. He was starting to wonder whether some outside force was deliberately messing with his life. He silently hoped that this was just a temporary thing and they’d go back to being the happy family that they once were.

*

Two days passed since Ivan had disappeared from the house. Frederick was doing everything he could, getting the entire police force to do a search, visiting his favourite hangouts and questioning everyone in his circle. Madeline had taken to sitting in the living room drinking funny-smelling liquids from fancy bottles. It was total chaos and Sebastian couldn’t bear being in the house, so he’d headed in the opposite direction of his house when he got off the bus from school to head off into the forest on the edge of town.

It was Ivan who introduced him to the forest, and nature in general, when he was young. They’d spent many hours exploring, laughing, playing amongst the trees. Ivan taught Sebastian about the various kind of plants and animals that lived there, as well as bodies of water and weather fluctuations. Sebastian was impressed that his brother knew so much and once proclaimed that he would one day teach Ivan about something that he did not know, and that was when he’d surpassed him. Ivan had just laughed and flicked Sebastian on the forehead, saying that that would never happen.

But Sebastian wasn’t thinking about Ivan as he walked amidst the mossy trees, the leaves and twigs crunching beneath him. His mind was perfectly blank as his feet carried him through, already familiar with every landmark. The fresh air cleansed his lungs and he let the ambience envelop him completely. It was liberating to be in a place that had only given him peace and happiness no matter what was happening in his life. In that moment, he was free from the world, from his troubles.

A sudden growl roused Sebastian from his reverie. Curious, he slowed his steps and crept behind a tree. It was a pack of dingoes, and they were feasting on their latest catch. His heart jumped. He loved watching animals in their daily life so he edged closer.

The dingoes were munching away ravenously at their meal and hardly noticed Sebastian. He pulled out his phone to record the sight, noting that these dogs couldn’t be older than two years. Their coat colours ranged from black to tan, and he counted up to eight of them. He zoomed in to the carcass to try to figure out what animal they’d caught.

It was then that he sensed that there was something strange. There was a length of rope trailing out of the dingoes’ circle. It was much too large to be a prey animal. And fabric wasn’t a naturally occurring thing in forests, right?

Then the reality hit him. That wasn’t a prey animal. No animal had flesh-coloured skin like that. And the colours of those clothes were familiar. Too familiar.

Sebastian dropped his phone in shock. The noise caught the attention of the dingoes and they snapped their heads up and growled at him. Their teeth were stained red with blood, giving them a menacing aura.

His mind was screaming at him to move, but his body was paralysed to the spot. He could hardly process what was happening. The dingoes walked slowly to approach him. He didn’t know whether they were going to pounce on him or no. In fact, he could barely think, everything was an unsorted jumble.

Then a gunshot rang out, and the dingoes yelped and scattered for cover. Sebastian barely registered the newcomer, for he was still staring at the mangled body on the floor. One foot had been stripped to the bone, the flesh having been removed entirely. The hair covered the face completely and a bruise had formed on the neck where the rope had chafed against it.

‘That was close.’ It was Sebastian’s neighbour, who was a ranger for the forest. He aimed his gun at different directions just in case there was another threat. ‘It’s dangerous for you to be here if you’re unarmed, boy. Especially approaching feeding carnivores like that. You’re lucky I was nearby and happened to spot you.’

Sebastian barely moved from his spot. He could barely tear his eyes away from the remains of Ivan’s body. Everything below the shoulders had been ravaged, but the head was surprisingly intact. He had gone immune to other stimuli. There was nothing that made sense.

‘Oi. Are you listening, boy?’ the man continued, waving his hand in front of Sebastian’s face. He didn’t even blink. ‘I’m gonna have you take you home and tell your parents about this - .’

The man stopped as he finally found what Sebastian was looking at. ‘Ah, shit,’ he said in dawning realisation. With his strong arms he led Sebastian away from the area. Sebastian wasn’t even aware of being manhandled. All he knew were the smell and shade of blood. It was burned into his memory.

‘Sit down,’ the man said and he pushed Sebastian down onto a rather large boulder. The motion seemed to trigger something in Sebastian’s head.

‘My… My brother…’ It was a voice of pure confusion.

‘Calm down. Take three deep breaths,’ the man tried to distract him, while dialling a number on his phone.

‘I… I don’t understand.’

‘What don’t you understand?’

‘I just saw him… A couple of days ago… How can he be here?’

‘He offed himself by the looks of it, kid. Probably did it here so the animals would find him, too.’

‘But…’ Sebastian frowned as though trying to figure out a complicated puzzle. ‘He came to say good night to me. I promised him we’d play basketball. And he told me to follow my dreams like a big brother should. So…’

‘I’m sorry for your loss, kid,’ the man said sympathetically. ‘Hello, Frederick. It’s me. You can call off your search now. I’ve found Ivan in the forest on the edge of town…’

Sebastian started to rock back and forth in his seat. All he could think about was how he’d just talked to Ivan, and his body sprawled out on the ground like that. He couldn’t connect the two facts together. They were the opposite ends of two magnets, repelling each other. It was inconceivable. Ivan should be teasing him about having a dumb expression, not be unconscious like...like that.

The ambulance came, and the paramedics gingerly tucked the body into a black bag. Frederick and Madeline arrived soon after, and everything spiralled out of control. Madeline let out a gasp and fainted on the spot, and Frederick screamed out Ivan’s name and threw himself over the body, sobbing like a madman and clinging to it like a life raft. Sebastian just watched everything unfold before him, rocking back and forth. And since then everything fell apart.

* * *

‘Sebastian?’ Are you all right?’ Nichole’s voice seemed to come at him from the other side of the galaxy.

His father wearing mental asylum scrubs… His mother in the arms of another man… And his brother… Once a dear friend, now a monster, always hiding in the recesses of his mind…

‘Sebastian!’ This time Nick raised his voice, and Sebastian started in his seat.

‘Are you all right? You look a bit unwell,’ Nichole said, tilting her head curiously the same exact way Nick did when he was trying to figure Sebastian out.

‘Ah. I’m fine,’ he said dismissively.

‘Are you OK with your alternate parents visiting us?’

‘What? Yeah, of course. Sunset deserves to see her grandparents and uncle.’

‘Ale you sure? It seems like you have a rocky relationship with your own family.’

Oh, if she only knew. ‘I’ll be all right,’ Sebastian insisted. Of course he would. They weren’t his real family. They were just carbon copies. He could handle them. Because Sebastian Powell does not lose his cool in a distress situation, ever.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should not be trusted to infodump.

‘It sounds like you and Nick have an interesting relationship,’ Seb said as he diced onions with the skill of a Michelin-star chef. Sebastian made a mental note to ask him for cooking tips before returning to his world.

Sebastian snorted. ‘“Interesting” is a mild way of putting it,’ he said as he peeled potatoes carefully. ‘You want to kick him out one morning and in the same afternoon you’re glad he knows a trick to make your life easier.’ He was still unnerved from talking to what was basically his own reflection and it had its own responses. It felt like his conscience had sprung to life and giving him logical advice.

Seb chuckled. ‘One time in our old flat, Nichole locked herself in the bathroom when she went to fix the sink,’ he recalled. ‘She didn’t have her phone with her because she was intending to have a bath, and I was at a business trip, of course. What made it worse was that the bathroom was right in the middle of the flat with no windows, and the key broke when she tried to use it. She started screaming and banging on the door for what she called a long time, then got tired and went to sleep in the bathtub. She woke up to the fire department, police and paramedics asking her if she could describe her attacker. Apparently one of the neighbours called the emergency number thinking that she’d been raped. She yelled at them for thinking she was a weakling who couldn’t defend herself, and she was so loud that said neighbour still hasn’t come forward to this day.’

Sebastian couldn’t help releasing a guffaw. ‘Sounds like there aren’t many differences between her and Nick.’

‘She is quite a handful,’ Seb admitted. ‘But she’s also the best thing that ever happened to me.’ The way he said that sentence, with reverence and adoration, made Sebastian’s heart contract into itself.

‘Yeah?’ He hoped he sounded as bored and disinterested as he thought to offset his clenched fists.

‘On our first meeting, the first day of middle school, she literally walked up to me and said, “Hi, there. My name’s Nichole Hayes. I think you’re really cute. Want to go out with me?” Being the shy kid that I was, I could only say no out of shock and bewilderment. She didn’t pursue the subject, but she always went out of her way to include me in her group when she saw that I was a loner. It was the first time I had a friend in my age group. I developed a crush on her over time but didn’t dare to tell her in case she’d changed her mind about me. Then one day a bunch of boys cornered me and tried to intimidate me. They found out about my crush and mocked that she’d never be interested in me. She saw us and apparently heard everything. She told them to never bother me again, and asked me if I still wanted to go out with her. I said yes and we’ve been together since that day.’

Sebastian reasoned that if Nick hadn’t asked him about how he truly felt, then he had no interest in him in that way. ‘That’s an unusual story.’

‘One day we were lying down in our flat enjoying some time off. Out of the blue she asked if I was willing to marry her. I wasn’t entirely focused and said yes without realising what the question was. In response she threw up in my lap. We quickly realised that this wasn’t normal, so I went out to buy several pregnancy tests. All of them came out positive, and she joked that River was so happy that my answer that he decided to announce his presence.’

‘You’re a lucky man,’ Sebastian said as he poured all of the vegetables in the boiling stock. This time he couldn’t prevent the tone of bitterness.

‘I guess I am,’ Seb agreed. ‘You know, the parallel universe theory states that - .’

The doorbell rang and there were familiar voices drifting to the kitchen. ‘Oh, they’re here,’ Seb said and he put down the completed fruit cake on the cooling rack, took off the mittens and went off to greet the new guests.

Sebastian clenched his fists against the countertop, his heart doing a jackhammer rhythm in his chest. He wasn’t ready for this. He wanted to be swallowed up by a trapdoor on the ground. He was afraid of the past rearing its ugly head and attacking him. He could hear Madeline and Nichole excitedly comparing home improvement tips they’d just obtained, Frederick laughing as he swung a squealing Sunset in the air, Ivan and Nick greeting each other.

‘Sebastian?’ Nichole called out. ‘Your family’s here! Come say hi!’

Sebastian heaved a deep breath in and out. He was a man. He could handle meeting a few strangers. Even if they bore an uncanny resemblance to his disintegrated family. He walked deliberately towards the sitting room, where there were more people than usual. He cleared his throat, and everyone turned to look at him.

The scrutiny of their gazes made him uncomfortable, and he shuffled his feet awkwardly. ‘Uh… Hello.’

‘Oh, so is this the Seb of the other dimension?’ Madeline was the first to move towards him. ‘Wow. You’re right, Nichole. The resemblance is faultless.’ She got right into his personal space and he leaned back awkwardly.

‘Uh, it’s nice to meet you.’ It was like that incident had never happened. She had more lines on her face than he remembered, and she had a few light streaks in her hair, but there was no mistake. She was indeed Madeline Powell, his mother.

‘Madeline, dear, stop scaring him,’ Frederick said, looking rather odd with Sunset in his arms. His hair was purely white but he had no frown lines, and his eyes were twinkling. It was strange to think that his father would be this kind of person.

‘I hope you’re a better cook than my brother is,’ Ivan added. His face had matured, and the police uniform made him look dashing and commanding. He had laugh lines around his eyes in place of haunting bags.

‘Are you ever going to stop making fun of me in front of other people?’ Seb complained.

‘Never.’ Ivan took hold of Seb’s head in an elbow grab and ground his fist.

‘Uh, dinner’s ready,’ Sebastian announced. His heart was about to burst out of his chest from the storm of emotions.

‘Wonderful. I’m starving,’ Madeline said, clapping her hands. ‘River, dear, how’s your band going?’

Nichole’s phone began singing, and she rushed to answer it. ‘Dad…? Oh, that’s wonderful! Frederick, Madeline and Ivan are here, too…! Great, see you later!’

‘Who was that?’ Nick asked.

‘My dad. He and mum are back from their vacation and are on their way here!’

‘Your - your parents are alive?’ Nick’s voice took an uneven tone.

‘Of course. Sorry, everyone, but I’m afraid dinner will be delayed until my mum and dad arrive.’

Nick stayed silent at those words. Sebastian got up from his seat and tapped Nick’s shoulder insistently. Nick didn’t seem to understand what Sebastian was asking of him.

‘Come with me,’ Sebastian whispered into his ear. When he made no move Sebastian pulled him up and dragged him away into the kitchen. Nick followed along, his feet stumbling. Sebastian took him to the furthest corner so that they wouldn’t be overheard.

‘I know this is weird,’ Sebastian said. ‘Take a deep breath.’ He knew his voice didn’t have the calming quality but this was better than nothing.

‘Sebastian… My parents are alive…’ For the first time in Sebastian’s life, Nick sounded close to breaking point.

‘I know. My family is, too. You’re not alone in this. You can get through it.’

‘This isn’t a dream… Right?’

Sebastian didn’t know if answering was the right thing to do. ‘Just stay calm. I’m here with you.’ He squeezed Nick’s hand, which had grown clammy.

‘OK.’ Nick closed his eyes, took a deep breath and held it in for a few seconds. He exhaled slowly and said ‘Let’s go.’

Still squeezing Nick’s hand, Sebastian led him out of the kitchen. And right then, two people who had a strong resemblance to the man next to him came through the other doorway.

There was complete silence as the three looked at each other. Miguel had the same shade of blond hair and build as his son, while Kara had dark, waist length red hair and monolidded blue eyes. Both of them were carrying heavy bags and looked exhilarated and exhausted.

A few seconds passed. Sebastian thought time had stopped moving for everything was still. Nick’s eyes brimmed and his chin trembled. Sebastian felt a rush of compassion for his best friend, who had been denied parental love since the day he was born.

‘Mum…? Dad…?’ Nick’s voice cracked.

‘Hello,’ Miguel said, smiling.

‘It’s nice to finally meet you after hearing about you from Nichole,’ Kara added.

At the sound of their voices, Nick sprinted towards his parents and threw his arms around them. The wracked sob that came out of him tore at Sebastian’s heart. Nick buried his face in their shoulders clinging to them like a life raft. Both Kara and Miguel looked startled, but they didn’t move away. Miguel patted Nick’s head and Kara wound her free arm around his waist.

‘I’ve… I’ve always wanted to meet you…’ Nick’s voice came out muffled and hitched. ‘All my life… I’ve longed for this day… Even though I knew it was impossible… But I never stopped praying…’

The three of them remained that way for a while, and Nichole wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Then Nick took a step back, his face blotchy but wearing the biggest smile Sebastian had ever seen on him. ‘I’m sorry. You two must be starving. Come and sit down.’ He rushed to pull up two chairs. Miguel and Kara set their bags down, took off their coats and took their seats, and Nick sat down between them, positively radiating light.

‘Well, then, let’s eat!’ Nichole announced!’ Everyone helped themselves to the food, and what would be one of the most memorable moments of Sebastian’s life commenced. The kitchen was much louder than he remembered a room being, what with the amount of people in it. There were at least three conversations flowing at once and eleven pairs of cutlery clanging against plate. The level of food declined steadily as everyone helped themselves to seconds.

And yet Sebastian didn’t feel uneasy at all. For the first time in a very long time, he was surrounded by people who knew and accepted who he was. It felt like he’d regained his family, and then managed to grow it. Nick, Nichole and Seb, River and Sunset, and their parents. This was everything he hardly dared to hope for, fearing it would never be his to have. And yet it was here, in his grasp. Perhaps that higher power had decided to stop dealing from the bad deck. It made him feel...content. Peaceful.  _ Happy _ . He’d hardly dared to even think about that word in the past. But here, it was exactly what he was.

The clock ticked to 9:47, and yet none of them paid any attention. All of the food had been demolished, and they were devouring the pistachio ice cream that River and Sunset had scooped out. There seemed to be no end to the topics of conversation. Nick, in particular, was bombarding Miguel and Kara with questions - questions that a regular child would never ask his parents. Both of them were bewildered by the attention he was showering on them, yet they didn’t seem to mind at all.

‘You two look exactly like the photos!’ Nick exclaimed.

‘Photos?’ Miguel repeated.

‘I collected photos of my parents from the newspaper,’ Nick said. ‘It was all I could get of them since I didn’t have any other family.’

‘Are your versions of us dead, Nick?’ Kara asked.

The smile that Nick had on since the beginning of a dinner slipped for the first time. ‘Yes,’ he said pensively.

‘Oh, honey.’ Kara put her arms around Nick. ‘I’m so sorry we left you alone. How did you cope?’

‘I won’t lie, it was very hard,’ Nick said, much more pensive and serious than Sebastian had seen him. ‘But I knew that you both loved me, and that kept me going.’

‘Do you mind if we asked what happened? Miguel said curiously.

‘Of course.’ Nick took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He opened them again, and looked at Sebastian, who gave an encouraging nod. This bolstered Nick’s confidence, and he launched straight into his tale.

‘My parents were seven months along into the pregnancy. I was their first child and they were excited because they’d been trying for a few years - at least that’s what their friends told me. They decided to have a relaxing holiday before the birth, and chose Japan as their destination. The contractions started once they were in the air, by several hours she’d gone into labour. There were no nearby airports to divert to, but luckily there was a doctor on board. I was born right over the () seas border according to the articles I could find.’

‘Wow, that’s awesome! Miguel said.

For a split second Nick looked taken aback, then his face split into the biggest grin Sebastian had ever seen on anyone. It was his first time hearing from a parent. Of course he’d be overjoyed. Sebastian remembered all the times Frederick and Madeline gave him positive acknowledgement. Each one felt special and he cherished them from the bottom of his heart. He was glad that Nick had the opportunity to do the same. But then Nick turned serious again as he continued.

‘Unfortunately someone had managed to plant a bomb in the plane. It exploded over a remote island and everyone was killed, except for me, somehow. Apparently - .’

‘Oh no!’ Kara exclaimed, holding her hand up to her mouth. ‘That’s terrible! How did that even happen?’

‘Apparently there was a new security agent and he slipped the bomb in someone’s bag,’ Nick answered. ‘He was angry at the airline for firing him, so he put together a plan to take them down and humiliate them to get the public to trust it, I guess.’

‘That’s fucking terrible!’ Nichole interjected angrily. ‘How could he do that to hundreds of innocent people? They had loved ones waiting for them at home!’

Nick shrugged. ‘Anyway, after I was examined and deemed healthy, I was taken to an orphanage, and I lived there until I was twenty. None of the workers seemed to care about us, so it was easy for the kids to, uh, find a target to pick on.’

‘Don’t tell me - .’

‘This older kid had parents who were passengers on that flight, and he saw me as a monster for being alive when his weren’t. Everyone else was scared of him, even the staff. Sometimes...he hurt me so bad that the injuries wouldn’t heal for several weeks. I had to learn first aid techniques to patch myself up.’

It was the first time Sebastian had ever heard Nick sound melancholy, and he wanted to give his best friend a hug. Having known trauma very well, he was saddened and angered that someone as pure as Nick had to go through it when he didn’t deserve it at all. He thought he understood why they were drawn to each other: Both of them had been put through the wringer and came out on the other side with scars. Both Kara and Madeline had tears in their eyes and Miguel looked conflicted like he wanted to hug Nick but didn’t want to interrupt him.

‘I didn’t...uh...turn out very well.’ Nick grimaced like he was ashamed of this part. ‘Nobody wanted to be with me, so I fell back with this bunch of guys who’d also felt shunned by society, and we’d do some...things… To get people’s attention. The peak of it was when we spray-painted the memorial of my parents’ flight. I was the only one caught, and none of them came back to help me. I was sentenced to eight months of juvenile jail and three months of probation, and I’d be released on the condition that I find a job and a place to live. That was when I met Sebastian.’ Nick smiled at Sebastian, who felt his cheeks warm and his stomach swooping.

‘Aww, you two are so cute together!’ Kara squealed.

‘W-what?’

‘Haven’t you heard of the alternate dimensions theory? Two people are bound to be together no matter what choices they make!’

‘I don’t think it works that way, Kara,’ Miguel said gently.

‘But look! The proof is right in front of us! If our Seb and Nichole got married, then it only makes sense that their other versions get married!’

‘M-married?’ Nick spluttered, his face turning an ugly shade of scarlet.

‘Even if they were destined for each other, it’s not fair to rush them into it.’

‘You’re no fun, Miguel!’ The way Kara’s lip protruded was just like her child’s.

‘Anyway,’ Nick seemed to have recovered during his parents’ exchange, ‘I found Sebastian, who was willing to let me share a house with him. But finding work wasn’t so easy. And the other kid who picked on me… He got adopted by a rich, powerful family, and he made sure that my criminal status was known. My probation period was almost up when I wandered into this small grocery store and this middle-aged woman was yelling at this girl, Heidi Harper, for the store running out of an item and for having a stutter so she couldn’t understand her. I stepped in to interrupt them and told the lady to fuck off. She thanked me over and over, and said she’d do anything she can to help me with anything. I jokingly said that she could help me find a job, and it turns out that she’s the daughter of the owner, who was looking for an assistant to help him out around the store. She brought me to her father, Hank, who’d heard of my history, of course, and initially refused, of course. But somehow she convinced him to change his mind, saying that I understand her even with her difficulties I promised to be his hardest working employee, and he agreed eventually. It turns out that I have a natural talent with retail, so much so that Hank trusts me enough to oversee the day-to-day operations of the store.’ Nick beamed, obviously very proud of all his accomplishments.

‘Congratulations, son,’ Miguel said in a warm, fatherly voice.

‘S-son?’ Nick sounded like he couldn’t believe his ears.

‘You went through very hard times and came out of the other side a winner. Not many people can do that. It’s clear that you are my and Kara’s son through and through, even if you aren’t born to us.’

‘D… Dad…’ Nick’s eyes welled with tears again.

‘I’m proud of you,’ Miguel said, walking up to Nick and sitting next to him.

‘And I love you,’ Kara added, joining her husband.

Nick didn’t say anything else. He just let Miguel and Kara embrace him, his eyes closed so he could savour their warmth. Sebastian wished he could capture this moment and give it to Nick for him to treasure. He was happy that his best friend had finally received his heart’s desire. It was the best gift that this dimension jump had given both of them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. If you weren't aware this is the first draft, you know now.  
Warning: I apologise for my ableism in portraying an anxiety attack inaccurately.

‘Oh, man, I’m so bored,’ Nick complained. ‘We got transferred to a new dimension but everything’s the same. Where’s the tension? The catastrophe?’

‘That would risk us not going back, you moron,’ Sebastian said sardonically.

‘Nick, can we go out to buy a new textbook?’ Sunset asked. ‘It’s at the city centre, though. We can take the bus, and you can point out what’s different about my city compared to yours. Afterwards we can go out for this sundae place I love.’

‘Oh, sweet!’ Nick exclaimed. ‘The city centre was always too expensive for us. Sebastian, you gotta come with us!’

‘Why?’ Sebastian drawled.

‘Come on! This is our chance to go out and have fun! It’s the city centre, for God’s sake!’

‘No thanks. I don’t have time to be frivolous.’

‘Why do you always have to be such a stuck up arse?’ Nick huffed. ‘Fine. Do whatever you want. Sunset, have you got everything you need?’

‘Come on, Sebastian,’ Sunset said, smiling up at him. ‘We’ll have so much fun together. We might not have a lot of time left.’

Sebastian looked down at this young girl who was smiling up at him with huge blue eyes. Nichole had brushed her long black hair into two and tied them up with two bright red scrunchies. This child belonged to two different people, but for a moment all he could see was himself and Nick in her. Moreover, she was looking at him as if she’d trust him with her life. Sebastian didn’t know if he was worthy of that look, but he also knew that he didn’t want to be the cause of her frown of sadness.

‘All right then,’ he relented.

‘Yay!’ both Sunset exclaimed, pulling the same cheeky grin.

‘Sunset, you gotta tell me your secret to get him to do what you want,’ Nick said as they walked to the bus stop. ‘Most days I can barely get him to see reason!’

‘Maybe it’s because you’re always suggesting unreasonable things, dumbarse,’ Sebastian drawled.

‘Well, Nick, it helps to say please and thank you,’ Sunset said primly. ‘And Sebastian, there’s no need to be serious 100% of the time. It’s OK to relax and have fun.’

Neither Nick nor Sebastian could gloat about having the upper hand at that, so both of them remained silent. Sunset paid their bus fare and they sat behind the rear door, with Sunset being on Nick’s lap.

It suddenly occurred to Sebastian that people would think that they were an actual family, given how much Sunset resembled both of them. It would be fleeting, of course, but it was still there. He found that he didn’t mind it at all. He’d take any chance he could get to be Nick’s partner. And Sunset was the easiest child to get along with. It was a complete picture, and Sebastian thought that maybe this dimension wasn’t all bad.

Nick and Sunset chattered on about their outside surroundings, almost like a parent and child. Nick would point out a building and how it was different from what he was used to, and Sunset giggled at his off-colour jokes and blunt, crude remarks. Sebastian thought about what Nick said earlier, about how such a monumental event would have catastrophic consequences. Now that he thought about it, he supposed the logic made sense. Something as momentous as inter-dimensional travel ought to have triggered SOMEthing. It was too much of a coincidence that Sebastian Nick had transported to a universe where their alternate selves had almost polar opposite destinies. There had to be a connection to it. The thing was, why hadn’t it shown up before then? It had been almost a month. It was too easy.

But Sebastian forgot all about that he walked along the path with Sunset. It was a beautiful day out, the sun was hiding behind the clouds so there was a good amount of light but not too intrusive. There were families and couples milling about like they were, or else sitting outside the shops consuming their purchases. Sunset let out a high-pitched giggle as she clung to Sebastian’s hand like a vice, and he suddenly wished he could stay. He couldn’t be damned about what would happen if he did. If he could have this - this _peace_ \- then who cares about what happened to his world.

‘Oh, there it is!’ Sunset exclaimed. She yanked both Nick and Sebastian towards their right with the force of someone much older and stronger. Nick’s legs actually flew in the air as he sought to regain his balance. But Sunset just kept on her way inside the bookshop.

‘What textbook do you want to buy?’ Nick asked.

‘It’s something to do with sociology,’ Sunset answered.

‘We should ask…’ Nick’s voice trailed off as Sebastian headed off in a different direction. He always liked doing his own thing, and there was a kind of peace in wandering around shelves of books, the keys to infinity.

He came to a stop at the Biography section, and his eyes fell on a picture of himself, or rather his other version. The words ‘Sebastian Powell - The Under-30 CEO with a Will of Fire,’ but all Sebastian could see was his reflection. They were so alike yet he could see that this was a different person entirely. He noted the way his eyes were wider, his skin had fewer lines. And the lips were the same shape and colour, but they curved into a smile that Sebastian couldn’t see himself making. It was wide and carefree, like he’d never known any hardship. And those eyes were filled with warmth, giving him a glow that seemed to radiate from the photo out into the real world. He noticed that the book was about on par with the other biographies of older figures. He snorted. How could someone with only three decades of life experience have more material? Especially someone with those looks and the smarts, and with a perfect upbringing. It was probably filler or embellishment. Heck, maybe it was even both.

Noticing that an old lady was staring at him staring at himself, Sebastian pulled the book down and opened it to a random page. His eyes landed on a quote. ‘The anxiety hadn’t gone away - if anything it excarbated it.’ That made him do a physical double-take. Seb had anxiety? How was that even possible? He had nothing to be anxious about. Sebastian made way for someone walking behind him and continued to read.

'_She’d lost a lot of blood at that point, and the doctors were considering a caesarean since the baby wasn’t moving. By then I was delirious and fading in and out of consciousness. I truly believed that I was going to lose my family that I worked so hard to protect. I imagined waking up alone. I visualised selling all the baby things I bought, since I wouldn’t have any need for them. I imagined using that money to pay for the funerals that I was going to hold._

_ ‘I don’t know how, but she did it. She managed to defy all odds and deliver my first-born. She teased me that I was making a fuss out of nothing. I was beyond rationality then. I gave her a hug that she told me later did more damage to her organs than the delivery and told her to never pull anything like that again. And when they gave River to us, I knew at that moment that I would do whatever I can to give them the best that money can buy.’ _

Sebastian closed the book slowly and placed it back on the shelf. He felt as if he’d been hit on the head with a brick. So even wealthy people didn’t stop having problems. Even money couldn’t save them from pain. He understood Seb’s determination to do his best for his family. He’d do the exact same thing, because that was what he lived for, those bonds.

He glanced at the clock that happened to be right over his shoulder. To his annoyance he calculated that twenty minutes had gone by. What were those two doing? How could a book take twenty minutes to search, especially with all the employees whose exact job was that? He walked out of the section. They must be in the school section. But when he got there they were nowhere to be found. Great. Now he had to look for them. He cursed himself for not staying with them so they could do what they came to do and not more than that.

He made his way to the Science Fiction and heard their voices in the next section. He opened his mouth, but something told him to remain silent. So he stood there, listening to them, pretending to be engrossed in another book.

‘Why would you want to buy that book?’ Nick asked.

‘So I can get my crush to like me,’ Sunset said.

‘Why don’t you just tell him you like him?’

Sunset gasped in horror. ‘I can’t do that!’

‘Why not? You just tell him how you feel and if he would like to go out with you. Simple as that.’

‘But what if he rejected me?’

‘Then you move on from him, and find someone else. If someone doesn’t like you, then it’s their loss. You’re an amazing person, Sunset. You don’t need someone’s approval to be valid.’

‘I guess you’re right,’ Sunset said doubtfully.

‘I KNOW I’m right,’ Nick said with his usual swagger.

Sunset giggled. ‘You’re just like my mama,’ she said. ‘By the way, do YOU have a crush?’

‘What makes you think that, baby girl?’

‘If you gave me advice on how to deal with boys, then you must know some things about wanting someone.’

‘You’re a smart girl. How can I ever hope to keep up with you?’

Sunset giggled again, clearly flattered at the compliment. ‘So what’s this person like?’

‘Smart, funny, unshakeable.’ Nick’s voice deepened - it was clear that whoever this person was, Nick held them in high regard. Sebastian felt a stab of envy. He wasn’t sure whether he should ask Nick the identity of this person to either stop being so perfect to have gained Nick’s affections or drop hints for them to be together. ‘Strong, mysterious, secretive. Most importantly, acceptance of me. Being attractive is also a nice bonus - .’

Sebastian couldn’t take it any longer. ‘Are you two done?’ he asked loudly, making sure to approach them from the end of the shelf. ‘I hope you didn’t spend ass this time talking and doing nothing to accomplish what we’re here for.’

Nick jumped about ten centimetres and blushed furiously, possibly embarrassed at being caught at being vulnerable. ‘Ah. Yes,’ he garbled. ‘Done. Of course. We are done, aren’t we, Sunset?’

She looked puzzled at why her mother’s counterpart was so jumpy. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Are you buying anything, Uncle Sebastian?’

‘No.’

‘OK. Then we can get those sundaes after this!’ Nick said, oddly cheery and avoiding Sebastian’s eye contact.

Sebastian pondered on who this person Nick was in love with was. What was their gender? Did they meet on a regular basis? How did Nick fall in love? It couldn’t be him. If it were, surely they would’ve been together long ago. Did Nick just realise his feelings and was figuring out the best way to tell this person? He assembled the descriptions of this person in his head, and concluded that the only one who fit them was Heidi. They saw each other often enough and she was the one who saw through Nick’s probation. He could imagine Nick being swayed by that acceptance. Hell, he should know. He didn't know what he should do. Heidi was a nice person, and she couldn’t help being an object of Nick’s affection. Also Nick would leave him forever if he tried to do something to her. (And perhaps she saw him for the same reasons, too.) He sighed. He could only hope, that when they did get together, that Nick would still want him to be in his life. That was all he could ask for.


End file.
